Fake coins Lincoln Cent 1943

Stefan Proynov: Fake coins Lincoln Cent 1943

Undeniably, one of the most sought after coins in the world remains the 1943 Lincoln Cent.

Collectors and dealers alike know about the million dollar coin and are eyeing Lincoln cents. And since the demand is so high and the price is speculatively high, counterfeiters appear who are looking for an easy and quick profit.

Stefan Proynov, an expert on ancient and modern coins and objects, promised in a series of publications to debunk in a series of experiments one of the hypotheses about the one cent Lincoln 1943 year. We start with a brief history of the show. During World War II, copper became a valuable raw material for the production of cartridge cases.

The main version that is circulated for the appearance of this type of coin MINT ERROR – wrong planchet is that in the box for the steel planchets for the production of the 1943 issue, an undetermined number of planchets from the previous issue of 1942 fell into – remained in a mechanical way these unique ones appeared in 1943.

Stefan Proynov: The most elementary forgery found on the mythical Lincoln Cent coin from 1943. it does not require special skills to make it, nor does it require special skills in forgery.

This fake is the easiest to make, but also the easiest to catch. Here the technology is as follows.

Counterfeiters took a regular steel coin from 1943. and then they thoroughly clean it by electrochemical means – electroplating, they apply a fine layer of copper on it.

Thus, the counterfeit retains the original marks of the genuine coin and is unaffected by its weight and shape, and can easily deceive the untrained eye and be sold at a significantly lower price, thereby committing fraud.

However, the experienced dealer or collector can hardly be fooled because: The color is 100% electroplated. Another easy way to recognize this counterfeit is to use a magnet, if the coin sticks it is fake and most likely the metal is not true.

A third easy way is to look carefully at the edges and the gurtha, and with a light mechanical way of scraping the layer the iron core will appear. When placed in a capsule, this type of fake significantly limits access to edges and grooves, but in practice the capsule cannot limit spectral analysis as well as magnet forces.

If you come across such a coin, always consult a professional, after all, two opinions are better than one, and three opinions are better than two. Remember that the cheaters strongest weapon is your greed and sometimes emotions dictate your actions.