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| Above, a Barber dime. JM Bullion photo. |
After having been taken in by Chinese coin counterfeiters last year, the topic of counterfeit coins naturally will catch my attention when they are posted.
Such is the case of counterfeit Barber dimes. I have four Barber quarters in my collection, three are culls (what aren't worth all that much even through they are silver) and one that I found on a sidewalk, but no Barber dimes. They ae named for United States Mint chief engraver Charles Barber.
CoinWeek posted an article on detecting counterfeit Barber dimes, particularly the 1903 Barber dime. By the way, Barber dimes are composed of 90% silver and 10% copper.
They start it with:
The Barber Dime series (1892-1916) holds one of the greatest rarities in United States numismatics: the 1894-S. Fewer than a dozen of these Proof coins are currently known to the collecting world, and on the rare occasion that they are offered at auction, they command prices over $1 million (USD). Their value has attracted the attention of counterfeiters, who have created outright fakes or added an ‘S’ mintmark to an 1894-dated dime from Philadelphia. Third-party authentication is essential for any coin purporting to be an 1894-S dime.
In contrast, such scrutiny is often absent for the business strike 1903 Barber dime. It’s not a key date, and generally isn’t worth over $100 except in Mint State condition, according to price guides. In fact, the 1903-O and 1903-S business strikes are each more valuable. Because this is a coin for which some collectors might skip certification it creates a different kind of opportunity for counterfeiters.
To read the full article, go here.
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