The one sure way to determine if a coin is real or fake is by weight. A genuine coin will have a specific weight, while a counterfeit will be too heavy or too light.
You can look coin's up in a coin collection book. And get an ideal of it's worth. Most pawn broker's would be able to also tell you some information on your coin.
An uncirculated coin has never been used in everyday commerce, it will have no wear.
To determine the exact value of an 1878 Goloid metric coin, a few different factors would need to be considered. Some of these factors would be the authenticity and condition of the coin.
The date on the coin will tell what year it was made.
A double die coin is one that was struck twice by mistake. When you look at the coin, you see a double image, two of everything. Usually the second image is very faint.
If you doubt the authenticity of any coin, take it to a coin dealer.
Many coin shops can do that for you.
i have a coin = 1992-1993 50p coin with certificate of authenticity =
No British general circulation coin will contain any precious metal. If the coin is silver or any other precious metal, it will say so on the packaging the coin came in and on the Certificate of Authenticity that possibly came with the coin when it was purchased.
No general circulation British coin contains any silver. If you have any modern British coin with a silver content, it will say so on the packaging it was sold in. This will include the percentage of silver and very possibly, a "certificate of authenticity".
A genuine silver coin produced by the Royal Mint will be in protective packaging indicating what the coin is made from. It should also include a certificate of authenticity.
If the coin is packaged, it is probably a serial number. If the coin has a serial number, it may also have a certificate of authenticity.
Proof coin sets always include a certificate of authenticity. Do not purchase a set that doesn't have this! You should always purchase your coins and collectibles from a reputable source. In most cases you should receive a certificate of authenticity.
The most basic thing is the weight and diameter of the coin. if you have doubts about the authenticity of the coin, take it to a coin dealer for an assessment.
Bring it to a reputable coin dealer and they will identify it and give you an opinion on its authenticity. Most coin dealers will not charge you for this service.
The national motto E PLURIBUS UNUM is on most all US coins dated 1878. If you are referring to a 1878 MORGAN dollar, the most basic thing is the weight and diameter of the coin. if you have doubts about the authenticity of the coin, take it to a coin dealer for an assessment.
In a case like this, it really helps to identify who graded the coin, if the coin came with a "certificate of authenticity" it raises red flags for a coin collector because it sounds like you bought the coin off of TV or by a shady dealer. If the coin was graded by a reputable dealer like PCGS or NCG, you might have a coin worth about $50 or so. If your coin was self-graded by the dealer or graded by a no-name grading company, you might only have a coin worth a bit more than melt because those tend to overgrade, and you might only have an AU coin, not a MS coin. Without knowing who graded it or seeing it in hand, it is hard to tell what exactly it is worth.