After my article last week, Wayne asked if anyone had a fake 1804 dollar. I found five examplesin my collection. None are deceptive to an experienced numismatist.

Let's begin the discussion by establishing some terms.

No 1804 Dollar was struck at the Mint in 1804. There is no "Real" 1804 Dollar.

Dollars dated 1804 and struck in 1834-35 are generally known as "Originals." Those struckaround 1858 are generally known as "Restrikes." Both terms are not appropriate but have cometo be understood. They may also be called "Authentic." If it isn't authentic, it is a fake.

A "Replica" is a copy with the general appearance of a coin but not intended to deceive.A "Counterfeit" is a copy intended to deceive.

How can a person tell if they have a genuine 1804 dollar or a fake? The 1973 Hobby ProtectionAct requires that replicas have the word "COPY" impressed on the coin. If your 1804 dollarshows the word "COPY," it is probably a fake.

The 1804 Originals and Restrikes had lettered edges If your coin has a reeded edge, it is a fake.Authentic 1804 dollars had a diameter of 39 to 40 mm. Copies with a diameter of 37 mm or lessare not authentic. Authentic 1804 dollars have a weight between 26.53 grams and 26.98 grams. Ifit weighs less than 26.5 grams or more than 27 grams, it is a fake.

If a nineteenth-century merchant found an 1804 dollar, they could not look on the internet for aphoto for comparison. They would have no access to the limited sources that might describe thecoin. With Spanish silver still appearing in America, an 1804 Spanish 8 Reale might be mistakenfor an 1804 American dollar.

The same issue applies to counterfeits. It is tough to make a counterfeit coin without an originalfor comparison. The first newspaper reports of 1804 dollar discoveries are more likely to bemisidentification rather than pieces designed to deceive.

The problem of fakes was recognized and mentioned in The Numismatist for March 1899, onpage 55.

The Newman and Bressett book on The Fantastic 1804 Dollar has a chapter on "Alterations andOther Fakes " Several examples of altered date coins are mentioned.

They also mention some of the stories of discoveries. Commenting on the Yale ice arena story,"This was obviously a planned hoax."

The Philadelphia Mint produced electrotype copies of the unique Class II dollar in 1860. On May5, 2022, one sold at auction for $21,600. Later on August 18, 2023, an example sold at auctionfor $11,400. The auction photos show these were both the same coin. William Idler was alsoknown to produce electrotypes.

When was the first electrotype 1804 dollar sold at auction? On the morning of October 7, 2025, Icould not have told you. Later In the day I came across this quote.

What is the source of this quote? It was something I wrote that was published in TheNumismatist in September 1995, thirty years ago.

Newman and Bressett do not mention struck copies suggesting they are a more modern curse onthe market. When was the first struck copy made? I have seen no documentation. There appearsto have been a gradual transition from fakes intended to deceive into replicas offered as copies or"tribute" coins.

In October of 2025, there are more than a hundred struck copies offered on eBay with aboutthirty different types or varieties. Many have sold in the past three months.

Newspapers did nothing to verify claims. Articles that mention people with 1804 dollars neverbother to describe the design, diameter, weight or edge. There are no follow-up articles whenpieces are discredited

I suspect that Wayne and I have stumbled upon a neglected area of numismatic research. Whilemuch has been published to trace the pedigrees for sixteen "authentic" 1804 dollars, there is littledocumentation for claimed 1804 dollars that prove to be false.

Circling back to terms, the broad field of 1804 dollars include original coins, restrike copies,misidentifications, electrotypes, altered dates, hoaxes, cast copies, struck copies. tribute coins,bullion pieces, novelties and fantasies. What have I left out?

Attached is a newspaper clipping from The Miami Herald for November 18, 1965. The articleappears in four other Florida papers.

The photo shows a close-up of the coin with enough detail to compare to the original. I see minordifferences in the hair detail and drapery on the shoulder. A diagnostic is the position of thethirteenth star relative to the point of the bust. It is another fake.

This week I have looked at hundreds of photos of 1804 Dollar replicas, I found eight differentexamples of coins with Class III Reverse that are not marked as copies. All have diagnosticmarks to distinguish them from restrikes but could fool a casual collector.