Half Sovereign 1925SA

[Spyder]

Hello members

I was wondering, I have noticed that the 1925 SA mint Half Sovereign has a quite a low mintage, so is this one coin that was faked or did the the fakers not bother with the Half.

What would be the value of this coin or is just worth the same as others Half from that period.

Note, I have one, but it looks like someone decided to give it a polish.

Thanks in advance

Spyder

[LawrenceChard]

1 hour ago, Spyder said:

Hello members

I was wondering, I have noticed that the 1925 SA mint Half Sovereign has a quite a low mintage, so is this one coin that was faked or did the the fakers not bother with the Half.

What would be the value of this coin or is just worth the same as others Half from that period.

Note, I have one, but it looks like someone decided to give it a polish.

Thanks in advance

Spyder

Your photos make it look like a fake.

It would help if they were in focus.

Cropping them would also help.

Perhaps you need:

https://www.chards.co.uk/blog/coin-photography-kit-taking-photos-the-chards-way/1046

😎

[Spyder]

1 hour ago, LawrenceChard said:

Your photos make it look like a fake.

It would help if they were in focus.

Cropping them would also help.

Perhaps you need:

https://www.chards.co.uk/blog/coin-photography-kit-taking-photos-the-chards-way/1046

😎

Thanks Lawrence for your reply.

All I got is my Samsung note phone. Sometimes I get a good photo and sometimes it comes out like this. Will try again and post a better photo.

Are you saying they did bother to fake half sovereigns during this time as it I would have thought, they would have concentrated on Sovereigns

[LawrenceChard]

10 minutes ago, Spyder said:

Thanks Lawrence for your reply.

All I got is my Samsung note phone. Sometimes I get a good photo and sometimes it comes out like this. Will try again and post a better photo.

Are you saying they did bother to fake half sovereigns during this time as it I would have thought, they would have concentrated on Sovereigns

I wasn't saying they did bother to fake half sovereigns, but almost every coin ever made will have been faked.

And if not yet, then they will be on AliExpress next week.

😎

[Spyder]

Let me try again

[Britannia47]

The Worlds first silver Sovereign!! Nice try though🙂

[modofantasma]

1 hour ago, Britannia47 said:

The Worlds first silver Sovereign!! Nice try though🙂

 

[dicker]

Hi @Spyder I am poor at photography of coins (a little better at microscopy photography).

Others can give hints/ advice but the key ones from me are:

- Crop the image so the coin pic doesn’t have big borders

- Keep going until the coin is clear and crisp.

- I’m not joking but make sure you have cleaned the phone lens (I have fallen foul of this myself)

- Consider building a box out of cardboard that your phone sits on and you can control the lighting in.

Best

Dicker

[Spyder]

1 hour ago, dicker said:

Hi @Spyder I am poor at photography of coins (a little better at microscopy photography).

Others can give hints/ advice but the key ones from me are:

- Crop the image so the coin pic doesn’t have big borders

- Keep going until the coin is clear and crisp.

- I’m not joking but make sure you have cleaned the phone lens (I have fallen foul of this myself)

- Consider building a box out of cardboard that your phone sits on and you can control the lighting in.

Best

Dicker

Dicker, thanks for your advice. Sometimes I get a good photo, but with this coin it goes weird. Will give it another go when it's a sunny day. 

If I was selling plenty of coins I would invest a proper gear to help sell my coins. You are the third person telling me to crop the image. I will try and do some research about how to do that.

It seems everyone is more interested in the photo then trying to answer the question of what are the likely hood of this coin being a fake as the mintage was quite low for this year and is the coin worth just like any other half sovereign from this period.

[Smiler999]

Why do you think this particular coin is fake?

I ask but I returned a 1925 SA half to a dealer this week as it just didn't sit right with me at all

[ShineyMagpie]

1 hour ago, Spyder said:

seems everyone is more interested in the photo then trying to answer the question of what are the likely hood of this coin being a fake

Not sure what you looking for as an answer, people commented on the photo as that's the best way of judging if the coin you are talking about appears fake. If its a general quest, again people have asked why do you think this particular coin? There is a chance that all coins could be be fake, if some one has faked them. Even if not at the time of original releaseor any time in the last 100 years'ish.... are you hoping for a response of yes 100% some people have specifically faked a 1925 SA hald Sovereign?

[Spyder]

23 minutes ago, Smiler999 said:

Why do you think this particular coin is fake?

I ask but I returned a 1925 SA half to a dealer this week as it just didn't sit right with me at all

It was reading your thread that got me thinking as I have the same year and from the same mint. What I did not understand was why would you have replaced it as it was such a low mintage year. If the dealer that sold you the coin said it was genuine. Was it verified that it was a fake?

 

[Smiler999]

34 minutes ago, Spyder said:

It was reading your thread that got me thinking as I have the same year and from the same mint. What I did not understand was why would you have replaced it as it was such a low mintage year. If the dealer that sold you the coin said it was genuine. Was it verified that it was a fake?

 

Low mintage means nothing to me when I have doubts as to the authenticity of a coin

I simply sent it back and they sent another that was fine, I don't know if the test before or after they got it back, or scrapped it

[Happypanda88]

I have downloaded the photo provided by OP and enhanced it a little.

It seems to me that the date (1925) is mis-aligned and the strike of the coin doesn't look right.

 I have also taken a photo of the same coin (with a bit of wear) from BBP for comparison.

The OP has commented in another thread that he used to be able to buy coins at spot from a coin dealer.

Judging from this example, I would be suspicious ! 

 

[dicker]

7 hours ago, Spyder said:

It seems everyone is more interested in the photo then trying to answer the question of what are the likely hood of this coin being a fake as the mintage was quite low for this year and is the coin worth just like any other half sovereign from this period.

So this is because the photo is the only way that people on the forum can directly help.  You personally can measure coin, do a specific gravity test, feel it, weigh it, compare colour.

Clearly for us TSF folk to assess a coin picture it is key to have a super clear pic of the obv and rev. 

Are there counterfeits of this coin?  Absolutely yes, I have seen one personally.  

You will also find the following thread useful. We discussed an 1925 SA / not SA Half in 2017, and counterfeiting of Sovereigns. (I even have a book on this, which I purchased having seen a reference to it on @LawrenceChardwebsite.

The search function is very useful on TSF - a lot of ground has been covered previously which starts to help answer your questions. 

 

 

Edited January 14, 2023 by dicker
Typo

[Smiler999]

I have to say that the dating does look suspect to me close up compared to the other coin 

[Jake0111]

The texture/ colour of the coin looks off, it doesn't look a proper matt finish, but that could be the photo. Have you weighed it? 

Edited January 14, 2023 by Jake0111

[Spyder]

6 hours ago, Happypanda88 said:

I have downloaded the photo provided by OP and enhanced it.

The OP has commented in another thread that he used to be able to buy coins at spot from a coin dealer.

Judging from this example, I would be suspicious ! 

 

 

 

Thanks Happypanda88

The details on my coin do look slightly off on the dragon side,but are super sharp on the portrait side. Could be a fake.

This particular coin was purchased off ebay in Sept 2011 before I even knew my coin dealer. Just to let you know my dealer used to authenticate coins for The British Museum in the past so I have no worries about anything I bought from him.

5 hours ago, dicker said:

The search function is very useful on TSF - a lot of ground has been covered previously which starts to help answer your questions. 

 

 

Thanks Dicker

I found that article last night via a google search and then noticed that it was talked about in 2017 and it was noticed that there was no . after B or P and George had no left foot. At least my coin has a left foot.

45 minutes ago, Jake0111 said:

The texture/ colour of the coin looks off, it doesn't look a proper matt finish, but that could be the photo. Have you weighed it? 

Thanks Jake0111

The coins weighs spot on 3.99 grams and looks and sound the same as any other. Next time I am in Hatton Garden, It will get it tested on for metal content. 

Edited January 14, 2023 by Spyder

[Bigmarc]

Have not read most of the tread but try using a magnifying app and taking a screenshot, then crop. 

[Jake0111]

@Spyder its what puts me off buying on ebay, if i thought they was something wrong, it would take me to much time trying to authenticate it and would still doubt my self. 

[Spyder]

15 minutes ago, Jake0111 said:

@Spyder its what puts me off buying on ebay, if i thought they was something wrong, it would take me to much time trying to authenticate it and would still doubt my self. 

I agree with you regarding ebay. I have not bought any gold coins since that year 2011. Only us ebay now for household odds and sods

 

26 minutes ago, Bigmarc said:

Have not read most of the tread but try using a magnifying app and taking a screenshot, then crop. 

Thanks, do you recommend any free app to do this. I have looked at cropping last night. still researching to see which is best to use

[Bigmarc]

1 hour ago, Spyder said:

Thanks, do you recommend any free app to do this. I have looked at cropping last night. still researching to see which is best to use

Just go to the app store and downloaded the highest rated one, most are free but with adds. I have a cheap £100 phone but this is the difference. 

Genuine photos taken if the last 10 mins of the first coin I picked up to help a fellow silver forum member. (Don't try and knock me down on price). 😉

Edited January 14, 2023 by Bigmarc

[Spyder]

7 minutes ago, Bigmarc said:

Just went to the app store and downloaded the highest rated one, most are free but with adds. I have a cheap £100 phone but this is the difference. 

Genuine photos taken if the last 10 mins of the first coin I picked up to help a fellow silver forum member. (Don't try and knock me down on price). 😉

Thanks, that is a good photo

[LawrenceChard]

10 hours ago, Happypanda88 said:

I have downloaded the photo provided by OP and enhanced it a little.

It seems to me that the date (1925) is mis-aligned and the strike of the coin doesn't look right.

 I have also taken a photo of the same coin (with a bit of wear) from BBP for comparison.

The OP has commented in another thread that he used to be able to buy coins at spot from a coin dealer.

Judging from this example, I would be suspicious ! 

 

This is getting more interesting.

On the top photo, there is a strange raised lump near the top left, which would alert me to it being a probable fake, but...

even more interesting..

There are some features on the lower coin which I also don't like!

😎

[Spyder]

Here is the best picture I have taken using a Samsung Flip 4 belonging to my brother.

 

 

Lawrence, what have you noticed that raises your suspicion regarding bottom coin photo supplied Happypanda88?

Edited January 14, 2023 by Spyder