Odds of Finding Ultra Rarities

Posted on January 19, 2026 by Michael Bugeja

Clickbait social media sites have tricked new coin collectors into believing they can find ultra rarities in pocket change and bank rolls. What are the odds?

We’ll calculate those odds later. But here’s the list of what you in all likelihood will never find:

1974-D Aluminum Cent
1943-D Copper Cent
1944-S Steel Cent
1982-D Small Date 3.1 grams
1943-S Copper Cent
1944-D Steel Cent
1983/83-D Copper Cent
2000 Sacagawea Mule
1944 Steel Cent
1943 Copper Cent
1969-S DDO Cent
1971-D DDO Cent

Social media scammers also proclaim “no mintmark” coins are rarities. No mintmark means minted in Philadelphia; missing mintmark is the rarity. Again, later in the article, we will show you just how many of these rarities are believed minted:

1968 No S Proof Dime
1990 No S Lincoln Cent
1970 No S Roosevelt Proof Dime
1975 No S Roosevelt Proof Dime
1983 No S Roosevelt Proof Dime
1971 No S Jefferson Proof Nickel
1976 No S Eisenhower Proof Dollar
1982 No P Mintmark

But not to despair! There are hundreds of findable rarities in rolls and pocket change. They won’t make you rich, but will make you a coin collector–a true hobbyist–who knows how to spend time wisely. We’ll cover those later.

Clickbait Social Media

Scammers on Facebook and YouTube foster the belief you can get rich and retire with pocket change.

Here’s a sample YouTube video:

There are only 5 known 1943-S Copper Cents. People have been checking their change and bank rolls for 70 years. To calculate odds of your finding one, factor this: some 125 million Americans consider themselves coin collectors to some degree. Twenty percent of Millennials, or 14.5 million, have taken a keen interest in numismatics.

New collectors have purchased coin microscopes and visit TikTok, Google, YouTube, eBay, Facebook and other social media venues, believing they can strike it rich by checking their change at the grocery store or making several trips to the bank for rolls.

Now consider the past 50-70 years of Americans collecting coins and looking for ultra rarities like 1943 copper cents or 1944 steel ones. What do you think the odds are of your finding one of them?

Now factor the hundreds of thousands of fake ultra rarities exported to the US by China. These often find themselves in rolls and auctions. Etsy, an American company flooded with Chinese sellers, and Temu, a Chinese company, also have saturated the coin market place with replicas. See this article for examples.

AI Calculates Odds

In addition to being a numismatist, I am a distinguished professor (actual title) emeritus at an institution of science and technology. My research specialty is artificial intelligence. I fed data into several sites and databases to calculate the odds of your finding one of these treasures.

In the table below, you will see those top 12 rarest coins and their values along with the odds of your finding one in pocket change or bank rolls.

Brace yourself:

Social media is undermining the hobby along with Chinese counterfeiters who count on your not knowing die markers for rarities. If you don’t, you can spend thousands on replicas.

Some examples:

Just consider the 1943-S restrike copper cent offerings on Etsy:

eBay scammers buy these restrikes and then list them as ultra rarities. Here’s an example:

You also can find “missing mintmark” rarities in online auctions.

Missing Mintmarks

The Philadelphia Mint did not use a mint mark on coins until 1980, with the exception of the 1979 Susan B. Anthony dollar, 1942-45 35% silver Jefferson war nickels, and the 2017 Lincoln 225th anniversary cent.

Here’s another table about how many missing mint mark coins are believed to have been released into circulation.

Here are tactics of counterfeiters and scammers:

Altering Normal Coins: Forgers might take a regular dime and try to remove the mintmark.
Tooling: Look for signs of filing or polishing where the mintmark should be.
Fake “No-S” Proofs: A common tactic is to take a regular business strike (like a 1970-S) and try to remove the ‘S’ to pass it off as the rare proof version.

If you would like to learn more about the above missing mint mark coins, click here for a full article.

Findable Rarities

There are hundreds of varieties and error coins that hobbyists still can find in pocket change in bank rolls and that are holdered by PCGS, NGC and ANACS. For a comprehensive list, click here.

Coin collecting is in part about value and investment. The difference between now and past decades is where new hobbyists are getting misinformation. In the past, most numismatists embraced the hobby because of the history, art, culture and metallurgy of coins, medals and paper money.

That is why Proxiblog recommends these three articles for new hobbyists:

HOW TO COLLECT COINS *** HOW TO GRADE COINS *** HOW TO SELL COINS

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You can find more information about types, varieties, errors, grading, bidding and buying in Coin News Updated: The Essential Guide to Online Bidding. Please consider buying or gifting the work for a friend, as it underwrites this hobbyist blog. Thank you.

“Long Nock”: Check Your 1878-S Morgans

Posted on January 17, 2026 by Michael Bugeja

The 1878-S Morgan has a mintage of 9,774,000 and is valuable in higher grades, but a small detail on an otherwise even silver melt coin is a coveted variety.

Let’s define “Nock,” an uncommon word, except for archers, whose definition is a notch at either end of a bow for holding the string.

So right off the word leads us to the quiver of arrows held by the eagle on the reverse.

Morgan 1878-S “Long Nock” coin refers an extended length of the arrow shaft (the “nock”) in the eagle’s talon. This variety is a result of a design variation used on the first set of dies delivered to the San Francisco Mint.

Let’s compare a regular 1878-S reverse with a “long nock” one with this photo from PCGS CoinFacts:

The “long nock” feature extends the tip of the central arrow.

This variety has several specific variations in the VAM directory (named after the directory compiled by Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis):

These varieties happened because of an urgent need to produce Morgan dollars at various mints in 1878. The first 10 pairs of dies for the San Francisco Mint had the “long nock” design. When the US Mint asked engraver George T. Morgan to revise the design, reducing the relatively high relief (shortening die life), the nock was shortened and the number of tail feathers on the eagle were reduced from eight to seven.

Value for this variety is high but few ever exceed almost uncirculated levels. The top pop at PCGS is AU53.

At Very Fine 20, the coin retails for $275 and increases by about $100 each Sheldon grade higher up until AU53.

Nevertheless, you will find 1878-S Morgans everywhere–even in slabbed coins–with the owner or holdering company missing the variety. (If you submit a coin without identifying and paying for a variety, that designation will not be on the label.)

Happy hunting!

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Primer on “Not PCGS” Fakes

Posted on January 13, 2026 by Michael Bugeja

This video documents the various ways to identify fake Chinese holders and coins, including lack of logos on slab, pasted Gold Shield sticker, wrong fonts, wrong 1921 label, wrong reverse and so much more.

7 Types of Cleaned Coins

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Michael Bugeja

When people ask if their coin is cleaned, or question hobbyists who say their coin is cleaned, many collectors do not know exactly why. This article explains what is known as destructive cleaning.

These methods permanently alter the coin’s surface and dramatically reduce its collectible value.

Dipping: Using a chemical solution (often a dilute acid) to strip away toning or oxidation from the coin’s surface, leaving micro bubbles that are red flags.

Smoothing: Using a cloth, abrasive paste or other substance to rub the surface, leaving tiny scratches called “hairlines.”

Polishing: Using a device or tool to buff the surface of the coin so that it shines with a false luster, often blurring devices.

Whizzing: Using a high-speed rotating brush to create artificial luster, leaving unnatural proof-like sheen with telltale patterns of metal flow around the coin’s devices.

Scrubbing: A coin that contains evidence of an abrasive material like baking soda or a metal brush, often to remove verdigris or other contaminant.

Chemical Application: Soaking a coin in acidic household items like vinegar with salt or lemon juice that remove verdigris and ruin eye appeal.

Electrolysis: Using electrical current in a solution to strip away corrosion, a process often used on ancient coins or ones found by metal detecting.

All sample coins above would get a details/cleaned grade by a holdering company.

For those who want to clean coins via non-destructive methods, consider rinsing them in distilled water or soaking in acetone, mild soap or olive oil. To learn more about if and when to clean coins, see “When, If and How to Clean Coins.”

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Counterfeit Lafayette Dollars

Posted on January 7, 2026 by Michael Bugeja

By Jack Riley

Internet venues often give rather interesting finds. In this case, modern counterfeit Lafayette Dollars.

The Lafayette Dollar was the first U.S. commemorative silver dollar, and the first coin to feature an American citizen (Lafayette; made honorary citizen by Congress) and a U.S. President (Washington) together. Add to that its scarcity in mint condition due to low sales and melting.

So this coin is a target of counterfeiters.

The image below is from a semi-large eBay seller who has a number of legitimate coins listed; however, in the mix of these there lies a counterfeit Lafayette Dollar. If anyone wants to authenticate a Lafayette Dollar there are 5 known DuVall varieties and that can be sourced from VAMWorld; these examples do not attribute.

A comparable example below is sourced from a larger Facebook coin group. Presented as s questionable, the coin at a glance looks suspicious.

Comparing the two “coins” we can see a few repeating marks highlighted in green:

Depression in A
Small circular dot behind the eye
Depression on the top of the tail
Two sporadic field dots above the date

This third example below clearly stated “copy” and was derived from another online source known for selling counterfeit U.S. coins. Additional markers in red denote common similarities; yet these did not appear present on the eBay example. They are present on the piece shared in the large group.

Highlighted repeating marks in red:

Lines protruding from ETT
Spike from T
Apparently scratch from behind the shoulder
“Boot Spur”

If you spot a counterfeit coin on eBay, report it immediately using the “Report Item” link on the listing to eBay’s Trust & Safety team.

If you like posthttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D131V2QRs like this, you can read more articles on counterfeit coins by Jack D. Young, Jack Riley and Michael Bugeja at this URL. Also, please subscribe so you can be informed whenever there is a new article or column.

Proxiblog also has hundreds of followers on Facebook Coin Groups. To get the latest discussion and commentary, be sure to friend us by clicking here.

You can find more information about errors and varieties as well as buying and bidding on coins in Coin News Updated: The Essential Guide to Online Bidding. Please consider purchasing the work for yourself or a friend, as it underwrites this hobbyist website. Thank you.

Identifying Counterfeit 1889-CC Morgans

Posted on January 4, 2026 by Michael Bugeja

Fortunately, the 1889-CC Morgan dollar has only three known major die varieties (VAMs), each with specific die markers. This makes it easier than other dates with more markers when identifying counterfeits.

The most common practice is to add a CC to the common 1889 Philadelphia Morgan. That is why knowing the die markers for authentic coins is so important.

A mere 350,000 coins in 1889 were struck at the Carson City Mint, and hundreds of thousands of those were melted after 1918 due to the Pittman Act. This makes it a nifty target for criminals. Moreover, the common date 1889 Philadelphia is used for an added mintmark. Here is an example from NGC:

Right off the bat, veteran hobbyists know that the mintmark used in the above example is the wrong one for an 1889-CC dollar.

In this article we will explore die markers for the three aforementioned VAM varieties. The main difference is the position and appearance of the date and mintmark, which uses the larger elliptical “CC” mintmark in production between 1879 and 1893.

Let’s start there by showing the mintmark of an 1878-CC and 1889-CC Morgan:

Note the smaller, thicker non-elliptical mintmark of the 1878-CC. Difference is easily recognizable.

VAM-1 Normal Die

The date “1889” has a normal lateral position, and the mintmark on the reverse is also in a standard position relative to the other devices there. Example:

VAM-2: High 9, Doubled 1

The numeral “9” is set higher than the other numerals in the date, sometimes even with a doubled “1.”

The “CC” mintmark is typically placed further to the right than in other varieties.

VAM-3: Far Date

The entire date is farther to the right than normal and also may also slightly slanted.

The second “C” of the reverse mintmark is higher than the first “C,” as this Vamworld photo shows.

A couple of things before ending here. If you don’t know VAMs and die markers, do NOT purchase a raw 1889-CC Morgan. There are thousands of counterfeits circulating in online auctions. Knowing VAM die markers can be challenging; but once you master them, you’ll be able to inform others when they ask whether their coin is genuine or fake.

If you want to learn about VAMs, start with this beginner’s guide by expert Jack Riley.

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Trifecta, CN Counterfeit Coin, Slab and Website

Posted on January 1, 2026 by Michael Bugeja

By Jack D. Young

As if the Chinese counterfeit coins in fake PCGS slabs isn’t bad enough, now there appears to be a fake Chinese PCGS website to verify them.

A friend alerted me to the following listing on the Bay:

Past eBay listed counterfeit in a counterfeit not-PCGS slab:

The listing included these interesting other images:

Images from the seller’s listing

The seller had ended the listing based on being told it is a counterfeit, and I started a review to try to determine what was going on here!

So, I started with the “PCGS” slab and some quick checks. Using my on-line barcode scanner I checked the front barcode:

Like many similar bad slabs, the barcode was gibberish and would not scan. Next, I went to the PCGS website to check the noted cert number:

Note from the genuine PCGS site for the cert # look-up

And another bad sign, that cert # “was not found”. So, my next step was to try to read the reverse label QR code. And just a note, many of the previous counterfeits we have documented similar to this one had a QR code that read the cert # correctly but noted the genuine PCGS CN site. A previous example read like this:

Typical previous QR code to pcgs.cn site

And then this one:

Note different website for this cert!

Different result than expected! I do NOT recommend readers going to the site shown, but if you did, this is what comes up:

Fake “PCGS” site, image

WOW, now we have something apparently new to be concerned about with these.

I did notify my contacts at PCGS for a heads-up as well as post it on their CU Forum:

The Trifecta, CN Counterfeit Coin, Slab and Website ! — Collectors Universe

My contacts at PCGS acknowledged they were now aware and reviewing; a check of the fake site Christmas evening indicated it was now unavailable– a nice Christmas present if it lasts…

I did continue to dig a bit and found the following domain information; seemed ironic the “Registrar” has Alibaba in the name!

The best way to guard against buying a counterfeit coin is to purchase an authentic one from a reputable dealer. Barring that, view Jack Young’s Jack Riley’s and my articles on counterfeit coins published by Proxiblog.

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Ladies Liberty Wish You Happy Holidays

Posted on December 25, 2025 by Michael Bugeja

View the forgotten women whose beauty metamorphosed to Lady Liberty on our coins. I bring them to life so that we remember Anna Willess Williams, teacher and philosopher, and Teresa de Francisci, model. Anna was a classic beauty (inside and out) and Teresa, a Mediterranean immigrant who became the American symbol of freedom and worldwide peace. Proxiblog will be posting again on Jan. 2, 2026.

Proxiblog Year-End Review

Posted on December 23, 2025 by Michael Bugeja

We’ll be back on Jan. 2, 2026

Proxiblog had 170, 200 views; 113,600 unique viewers; and thousands of followers on Facebook, YouTube and social media. The site now is considered one of the top coin blogs with stellar reviews about our illustrated coin term and error directories, counterfeit articles and hobby posts. View this video about the top articles and contributors.

Fake 1914-D Cents

Posted on December 20, 2025 by Michael Bugeja

The most counterfeited coin is the 1909-S VDB; but the 1914-D Lincoln Cent actually has a smaller surviving population. This makes the 1914-D a prime target for counterfeiters.

The 1914-D Lincoln cent, scarce in high grades, is often faked by altering dates (i.e. 1944-D) or adding mint marks.

Look for a large gap between the “9” and the second “1” in date. 1944-D cents are commonly altered to appear as 1914-D cents, but this leaves too much space between the first two digits and the last two digits.

See this example from NGC:

Weight is important. a genuine 1914-D should weigh in at 3.11 grams. Counterfeits are usually lighter or heavier based on the metal used for the fake coin.

Key die markers include a diamond-shaped or crisp “D” mint mark.

Here is what an authentic D mintmark should look like:

Here is a counterfeit mintmark:

Let’s see them together so you can tell how to identify a counterfeirt:

The genuine mintmark is crisp; the counterfeit, mushy.

Compare the position and shape of the mintmark to known genuine examples. Added “D” counterfeiters often use wrong mintmark style and position. Example:

Also look for evidence of die polishing, especially on Lincoln’s coat lapel, common for this date.

Finally, authentic 1914-D cents do not have VDB anywhere. Those initials used to appear on the reverse in some 1909 cents; but that was removed because it called too much attention to itself. No designer initials appear in 1914. The VDB was restored under the shoulder of Lincoln in 1918.

If you have any doubt about a raw 1914-D, do not purchase it because of the predominance of counterfeits. Spend your money on a slabbed example from PCGS, ANACS, CAC or NGC. If you have a raw 1914-D Cent, send it in for authentication. That will ensure a sale when you are ready to sell.

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