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Beware of counterfeit 1787 Fugio cent

In his “Detecting Counterfeits” column, Michael Fahey writes about what is arguably the first official U.S. coin. “Bolstering that claim is the fact that the Fugio cent was authorized by the Confederation Congress in 1787,” he writes.

Not surprisingly, the coin is a target for counterfeiters. The piece examined in the column “is an average quality counterfeit that is only deceptive to a collector or dealer that is not familiar with the various varieties,” Fahey writes. Learn what tools you can use to detect such fakes in his column, found exclusively in the print and digital editions of the March 12 issue of Coin World.

Changes for coins, hobby in 1908 and 1909

U.S. coinage underwent some changes in 1908 and 1909, writes Q. David Bowers in his column “The Joys of Collecting.” In 1908, the first branch Mint cent was struck: the 1908-S Indian Head cent, product of the San Francisco Mint. And in 1909, the 1909-S Lincoln, V.D.B. cent became an instant “rarity.”

In other hobby news, the American Numismatic Society opened its new headquarters in New York City, where it would remain until 2004. What else happened in 1908, something collectors did not like? Find out in his column, exclusive to the digital and print editions.

Four great die varieties from one reader

In his “Varieties Notebook” column, variety specialist John Wexler generally profiles coins submitted by different readers, but not this time. “In this month’s column, I present four great die varieties, all submitted by William Malayer,” Wexler writes.

See all four — doubled die coins, a repunched Mint mark variety and a coin with “something” on the reverse whose cause remains a mystery — in his column in the March 12 issue of Coin World.

Is a palladium coin a valuable error?

The debut of the American Eagle palladium bullion coin in 2017 generated a lot of collector and dealer interest, resulting in a fast sellout to the U.S. Mint’s authorized purchasers and profit-taking in the secondary market. For one owner, however, his coin seems a little unusual.

In his “Readers Ask” column, Paul Gilkes writes about a 2017 American Eagle 1-ounce palladium coin with “finning” — an unnaturally high and thin rim. Learn what causes finning and whether it adds to the value of a coin in the March 12 issue of Coin World.