Connecting America through Coins
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Tips On Identifying Genuine U.S. Coins
Consumers sometimes encounter difficulty distinguishing between replicas and genuine U.S. coins. We provide the below examples to help consumers distinguish between the two.
Information exists for:
- Genuine United States Mint 2001 American Buffalo Commemorative Proof Silver Dollar
- Genuine United States Mint One-Ounce American Eagle Silver Proof Coin
Genuine 2001 American Buffalo
Commemorative Proof Silver Dollar
Source: The United States Mint
Commemorative Proof Silver Dollar
Source: The United States Mint
Replica 2001 "Giant Buffalo Proof"
Source: National Collector's Mint, Inc.
Source: National Collector's Mint, Inc.
Tips on Identifying the Genuine United States Mint 2001 American Buffalo Commemorative Proof Silver Dollar
| Genuine Coin | Replica |
|---|---|
| Inscription "In God We Trust" appears near the upper portion of the coin. | Replica’s inscription reads: ".999 Fine Silver". |
| Inscription "E Pluribus Unum" appears under the buffalo’s head. | Replica does not have an inscription under the buffalo’s head. |
| Official denomination of the coin – "One Dollar" appears below buffalo. | Replica’s inscription reads "Giant Buffalo Proof". |
| Genuine coin shows the Philadelphia (P) mint mark below the denomination. | Replica does not display the Philadelphia (P) mintmark. |
| Genuine coin displays the mintage year "2001" on the obverse (Indian) side. | Replica displays mintage year "2001" below the buffalo. |
Genuine 1999 American Eagle Silver
Proof Coin (One Ounce)
Source: The United States Mint
Proof Coin (One Ounce)
Source: The United States Mint
Replica -- 1999 Half-Pound Silver Eagle
Source: The Washington Mint, LLC
Source: The Washington Mint, LLC
Tips on Identifying the Genuine United States Mint
One-Ounce American Eagle Silver Proof Coin
| Genuine Coin | Replica |
|---|---|
| Diameter is 1.598 inches [40.60 mm]. | Diameter is 3.5 inches [88.9 mm]. |
| Weighs 31.101 grams and contains one ounce of .9993 silver. | Weighs 248.82 grams [one-half pound or 8 troy oz.] and contains .999 pure silver. |
| Inscription on the bottom of the genuine coin (reverse) reads "1 OZ. FINE SILVER - ONE DOLLAR". | Inscription on the bottom of the replica (reverse) reads "ONE HALF POUND FINE SILVER .999." |
| Genuine coin (reverse) shows the official United States Mint Mark ("P", "S", or "W" depending on year of manufacture) to the left of the eagle's tail. | Replica (reverse) shows the Washington Mint's private hallmark (WM) to the left of the eagle's tail. |
| Genuine coin (reverse) shows the United States Mint designer's initials (JM) to the right of the eagle's tail. | The replica (reverse) does not show the United States Mint designer's initials. |
|
Replica Data Source: The Washington Mint, LLC Certificate of Authenticity |
