Beware of Faked Double Edge Lettering!

As shown in the photo to the left, this Sacagawea Dollar has been edge lettered to read DARWIN RULES. (You can click the photo to see an enlargement.) Darwin is, of course, the scientist who published the theory of evolution. The statement on the coin seems to mean that however unlikely the prospect is, something will evolve or emerge to meet it. In this case, the prospect was the liklihood that anybody would be able to create a faked double edge lettered Presidential Dollar (or modify a Sacagawea with faked Presidential Dollar inscriptions.) As you can see, very convincing fakes have evolved!

The edge lettering on the coin shown here was applied by coin artist Daniel Carr. Daniel is the designer of our New York and Rhode Island Statehood Quarters, and he has created and minted a number of parody State Quarters, as well. Although all of his parody designs are amusing, I got a hearty laugh out of his New York - Defiant Finger Tower and California - FEMA's Big One. Daniel has also created a number of other coins, and even wrote software especially for the purpose of designing coins, tokens, and medals. He put the edge lettering on the Sacagawea Dollar, and posted the photos in a coin collector's forum, partly to be funny, and partly to prove to skeptics that faked double edge lettering on Presidential Dollars is a geniune threat.

I want to be real clear about the point that Daniel is a well-known artist and minting expert in the coin collecting community, and his reputation is excellent, so I don't think the community needs to worry about Daniel making any fakes, or even any "artwork" that could be even remotely confused with a genuine U.S. Mint product (his parody state quarters depict the artist wearing sunglasses on the obverse, who is not likely to be mistaken for Washington.) Daniel assured me that expert authenticators could tell the difference between the lettering made by his process, and that made by the U.S. Mint, but he also cautioned that someone who was skilled and determined could probably create a (nearly?) undetectable fake. Fortunately the number of folks who have the skill, persistence, and criminal mind all rolled into one should be pretty rare, Darwin and his evolutionary processes notwithstanding!

The bottom line is that you should be very careful when you buy non-certified error coins from strangers in online marketplaces like eBay. Although there haven't been any confirmed reports of faked double edge inscriptions, other error types are being faked in goodly numbers. I have personally seen faked "sintered" Adams Dollars, faked "unburnished" Adams and Washington Dollars, faked Missing Edge Lettering Washington Dollars (with confirmed reports of faked Adams plain edge dollars,) and fake clipped planchets. Buyer Beware!

Photo courtesy of Daniel Carr.