One of the most influential psychology books is Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, in which he explains how we make split-second decisions on gut instinct, knowing something is wrong–like a counterfeit coin–but not being able to consciously explain why.
You have two inner messengers: consciousness and conscience. Consciousness is awareness. It exists in the present. Conscience is that inner voice reminding you of past successes … and failures. “Gut instinct” is the conscience sending you a message.
It is a mistake to go with consciousness and long deliberation, Gladwell writes. This applies to coins. If you have studied and looked at hundreds of counterfeit coins, you may not need die markers. Just trust your gut, often described as our second brain, and move on.
There is something wrong with this 1884 Morgan dollar below, and I could speculate what the flaws might be, based on the photo, and debate whether I should place a bid or not:
The cheek looks clean or PhotoShopped, but this may only be a soft strike. Then I look at the sharp date, 1884, and cancel that … perhaps.
I don’t like the doubling on the lips and forehead of Lady Liberty. Normally, doubling indicates an error. But this looks raised above that flat nose and cheek. That’s not normal. The doubling or traces of doubling should be on all the devices, not just one.
And there is some flattening and possible cleaning under the “E” of “E Pluribus Unum.”
Finally, the hair, “liberty” motto, and other devices look razor sharp.
Following Blink’s advice, there is no reason to question what, exactly, is amiss or isn’t. Just affirm your gut instinct and do not take a chance on this perhaps being a counterfeit. Concerning those fakes, it always is a good idea to know counterfeit detection. NGC has a great site.
So does Proxiblog. We feature regular posts on counterfeit coins by experts like Jack D. Young and Jack Riley.
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