Fake Morgan Silver Dollar?

I bought 2 Morgan Silver Dollars off of eBay. I know for a fact one is a fake since it is not as thick as the other silver dollar. However, these are the only Morgan Silver Dollars I have owned so I don't know how to tell if they are real or fake. They may both be fake for all I know.

The 1887 Silver Dollar weights 25.84 grams
The 1882 Silver Dollar weights 26.89 grams

I realize a Silver Dollar is suppose to weight 26.73 grams so is it better to be underweight or above weight?

By looking at these pictures of the 2 coins can someone tell me if they are both fake or if one is real? Thanks.






The 1882 coin is thicker than the 1887 coin.

 

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Yeah, that 1887 is genuine and the other one is of course a fake. Under weight is normal wear and tear, a coin is bound to lose some silver content after being around for so many years.

 

I believe they also have a diameter of 38.1 mm. You did not mention any.

 

It's not unusual for a G-VG graded Morgan to weigh under 26g by a bit.
If you had an XF/AU Morgan and it weighed 25.84 then we'd have a problem.

The 1882 is a fake, 1887 is legitimate but with wear and some of the silver content was worn away from circulation.

The thickness on the 1882 is an obvious giveaway. I've seen many types of counterfeits and these are among the poorest examples. If I put that 1882 in with all my rolls of Morgans I can spot that from a mile away. It helps having a bunch of them.

 

You came to the right forum to learn about coins. Welcome.

 

I shall also add that a Morgan Dollar should not weigh any more than 26.73g. That 1882 being 0.16g overweight is a red flag. If this purchase was very recent, try to return the 1882 but keep your 1887, and ask for a partial refund.

If the seller has a lot of good feedback it's possible he/she unknowningly had a counterfeit that they bought off someone else.

 

I understand the fake being thicker to compensate for the weight difference, but, is it also a larger diameter? If not, the 1887 is awfully small in comparison.

 

Ok, thanks for the information. I just wasn't sure how much weight loss would be consider normal for wear and tear on the coin.

I did not mention any as I do not currently have a caliper to measure diameter or thickness. I have order one though and will have one soon. The 1882 coin does a little larger diameter just by comparing the two.

The 1887 coin I bought was advertised as XF-VF grade. I guess it really wasn't? I am building my collection up so I should be getting more Morgan dollars soon, but I need to be able to tell the fakes from the reals so that is what I am trying to learn.

Thanks, I am glad to be here.

I am going to try and return it through eBay. The seller does have a 100% feedback, but not much feedback. It may have been a mistake or on purpose I'm not sure. Hopefully, I can get a refund. We shall see.

Yes, the fake 1882 also has a larger diameter than the 1887, but not by too much. I don't currently have a caliper to measure it precisely, but will be able to soon.

 

No metric ruler or measuring tape, either?

 

Not to preach too much, but I would definitely invest in some literature and reference materials on Morgans before making too many more purchases;especially from vendors from places like eBay. With the amount of Chinese counterfeits out there, novices are the primary targets to dump these onto.
I would find a local dealer after you learn some basics on the series before making too many purchases. I bought from an on line dealer a few years back. Let's just say, I chalked part of the purchase off as a learning experience. The authenticity was fine on two of them, but they were damaged from improper cleaning methods. One huge reason I recommend examining a coin before purchasing it.

 

Buy'em graded. Stop looking at raw coins until you know what you're doing.

XF/VF...? there's so much wear on the 1887 you can hardly tell it's a Morgan.

 

This is another very helpful place.
http://www.coincommunity.com/

 

Sorry you got clipped buddy, but you now have a lot of people that have your back!
Welcome

 

You came to the right place to get qualified info and help. 87 is fake 82 is real but over graded. You really should only buy graded/"slabbed" coins until you study this hobby more completely. Get partial refund on the fake and call it a learning experience!....

 

Now you're saying exactly the opposite than all previous posters.

@Tokenfreak, check the following specs and you should be able to tell which coin is authentic and which one isn't:

Weight: 26,7300g
Diameter: 38.1mm
Fineness: 0.900 AG i.e. it's not magnetic

edited: I suggest to return both coins.

 

If the seller did not mention "copy or fake or counterfeit" you will get a full refund from Ebay.

 

For the price of the two coins you could get one Pcgs ms62 Morgan If you look at apmex.

 

Asking myself why a counterfeiter would bother with a super common coin, such as an 82-S Morgan.

Have you checked the calibration of your scale with some 1-10-50 gram testers?

 

This is just some of the silver dollars I have taken into custody so that they don't make a return to any online auction sites. eBay is alright if you know your coins well enough to spot fakes; or if you find a few dealers you can trust to know their coins. I would stay away from some of the others. The problem is the Chinese are getting so good at manufacturing these fakes that I've even seen a couple of fakes graded by PCGS and NGC that are clear fakes when you have the same dates and mints to compare in their slabs; that's when the same marks and scratches become obvious in the same spot on each certified coin.

 

Taken into custody?? I don't think the Chinese are out to fool anyone as far as coins are concerned. They make lot's of $ on all the other stuff they make and sell.