Trade dollar

[Bruce]

I won this on eBay and I know theres counterfits out there. Can anyone give me an idea what to be looking for to see if this ones real?

[morestuff!]

Bruce,
Maybe Greg or one of the other guys can give you more solid information.

But, from what I know of the Trade Dollar electrotypes, you may need to have it closely examined "in hand" by a dealer. It seems to me that I read somewhere, they need to be weighed and checked for total silver content.

Also, look for signs of a seam around the edge. It's not always a conclusive method, but a quick check. The one in your picture looks to have considerable circulation wear. But, some of the restrikes are believed to be nearly contemporary to the originals and may have been circulated.

Good luck and I hope someone else can shed more light on the subject.
Ed

[Gregory]

Hi Bruce,

My best guess from looking at the pic is that it's the real deal. This is due to the circulation wear on it. Counterfiet are almost all AU/unc in this type.

If your Trade Dollar weighs in at around 27 grams it is real.

Thanks for posting it,

[morestuff!]

Just for comparison... here's an 1873-S reproduction from my collection...

[Gregory]

Thanks Ed, I bet if you were to weigh it, it would be way underweight, maybe around 22-25 grams

[morestuff!]

Greg,
You are absolutely correct. Comes in at 22.7 grams.