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Close-Up of Fake Silver Coin Dies

From , former About.com Guide

Counterfeit Coin Dies

Close-up photo of the dies used by a Chinese coin counterfeiting ring.

Photo courtesy of Jinghua Shei
This close-up photo shows the high quality of these dies for making fake silver crown-sized coins. The die on the right is the reverse of a British silver crown dated 1899. The die on the left is the obverse of a silver Greek 5 Drachmai dated between 1833 and 1845. Although the British Crown, if genuine, would sell for a few hundred dollars, the Greek coin made by these dies would cost thousands. Of course, each coin die can strike tens of thousands of specimens, making this a very profitable operation!

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