Iranian silver coin,real or fake
Hello,friends! Please tell me if you can determine if this coin is real or a counterfeit. It is a scarce/rare coin of 5000 dinars 1906,Iran, shah Muzzafar-al-Din. The coin has the same diametre as in catalogues but a weight slightly above that. Is it possible? The metal is nonmagnetic as silver should be.
Thank you!
-
Hi Andi --
I've supplied a picture of a genuine coin. Compare your coin to it. The picture of your coin is too fuzzy to tell if it is real or fake. Generally, a soft, mushy strike means fake. The coin in my photo has a sharp strike -- all the details are crisp and well defined. A sharp strike means genuine.
If the weight of your coin is off by plus or minus 0.2 grams, then it is fake.
Here is the description of my coin from the auction catalog. It sold for $2468 US dollars.
=======
Heritage Auctions Europe / MPO Auctions > Auction 52 Auction date: 15 November 2016
Lot number: 4062Price realized: 2,300 EUR (Approx. 2,468 USD / 1,993 GBP / 2,470 CHF)
Iran - Qajar Dynasty (1796-1925) - Muzafar al-Din Shah (AH1313-1324 / AD1896-1907) - 5000 Dinars AH1324 (1906) (KM981) - Obv: Uniformed bust ¼ right within wreath / Rev: Radiant lion left holding sword within crowned wreath - mintage 3.040 pcs. - VF, very rare type
Estimate: 800 EUR
=======
-
Hi,Paul! Many thanks for your quick,detailed,reply! And the photos from the auction were very helpful! However,my coin is made of silver. For a fake/counterfeit,can it be so?! Thanks again!
Friendly yours,
Andi
-
-
Yes, Andi. Silver is the correct composition. If your coin sports a crisp, clear, sharp strike, especially in the inscriptions, then it is no doubt genuine. The catalogs say your coin should have 36 mm diameter and weigh 23.03 grams. Check those parameters. If they match, then your coin is certainly genuine. If not, it is suspect.
Check our recent substack about counterfeit coins, here:
-
Hi,Paul! Thanks again for the new message and your interest in this topic too! For the persian coin (not Iran yet,in 1906),the diametre of 36mm. matches BUT the exact weight of my coin is 23,59g. and not 23.03g.! The type was a ''presentation issue'' minted for the anniversary of the shah Muzzafar. Is it possible that a genuine strike had such a difference in weight OR this is an important proof of copy/counterfeit?! Even if the metal is silver!?
Friendly best regards!
Andi
-
It is probably genuine. Weights plus or minus 1 gram are close enough.
Can you get an in-focus picture of your coin? That would help immensely in estimating authenticity.
-
Hi again,Paul! My friend,thank you very much for:
1) your nice words for me at another topic where I tried to do my best in helping a colleague in need.
2) your article on Coin Quest blog about my Thrace drahma of king Lysimachos.
Here,you perhaps will be a bit (or more) disappointed to find out that the ''young lady'' Andi is,in reality,a man and not so young at all! But,never mind,you can leave the nice article as it is. If you liked more to do it for ''a young lady''...
Ha-ha-ha,I am joking!
Under the name Andi is ''hiding'' a man,Alexander(Alexandru,in my language),Andi being a short name of this. And... I am as ''young'' as I can be... I am 64 years old.
3) your kind work to help with this topic too,the persian coin. For this purpose,as you requested,I upload several new,macro,photos of the coin. I hope that these will help you better & more!
Willing to hear from you soon,
Your friend,the ''young lady'' Andi
-
Ah,dear Paul,I forgot to upload the photos. Here they are:
-
Haha! That's great, Andi!
I'm 75, so any "young lady" concept is attractive to me. I knew I was going out on a limb when I said "young lady," but it does. after all, add interest to the article!
I am still waiting for my friend Joshua to reply about the authenticity of your drachm. I'll let you know when he does. He's in New Zealand.
As for the 5000 dinars, your new pictures convince me it is genuine. However, to be truly valuable, you should have it authenticated by PCGS, NGC, or ICG.
-
Hi,Paul! You give me great news about my persian 5000 dinars coin! As you are in contact with our colleague Joshua from New-Zealand (for the drachma of Lysimachos),don't you think it would be useful to submit to his expertise the persian coin too? Or this modern coin is out of his knowledge?!
Thanks again & all my best regards!
Take care,my friend!
Andi
