Maggie F. writes: My father-in law dug up 6 counterfeit 1 dollar coins on our property. They were all together in on spot. They are all dated 1884. At least so far we’ve been told they are counterfeit. i can not find a mint marking of any kind. Also, on the bust where she wears the liberty crown there are leaves adoring the crown. Any info would be appreciated. Thank you, Maggie
What makes you think they are counterfeit? Lack of a mint mark in this era would only indicate that the coins were minted in Philadelphia. 1884-P Morgan Dollars are not rare. More than 14 million were struck and most resided in government vaults until the early 1960’s. Also, it is not unusual for people to have buried money as a means of hiding or saving it. The only benefit to a counterfeiter would be to fudge on the silver content. You can weigh the coins on a gram scale, the gross weight should be 26.73 grams and the diameter of the coin should be 38.1mm.
