Fake UK one pound coins

Common knowledge to those of us who live in the UK, but perhaps less wiidely known outside of the UK is the proliferation of fake one pound coins that there are. It is reliably estimated that there are about 50 or 60 million fake one pound coins in circulation, most of which are so good that they regularly change hands without anyone suspecting.

Early fake one pound coins were designed for use in vending machines and were made of lead. Later they became more sophisticated, first being painted yellow and later being made of more appropriate metals until now (2011) they are actually being made of the same metal alloy as the genuine articles! They often weigh exactly the same, have the same dimensions and are well crafted (hence so many pass for the real item).

The Royal Mint offers advice on spotting fakes, most obvious of which is misalignment between the obverse and reverse designs, which should be 180 degrees apart. Next to check is the inscription around the edge of the coin which should be clear, centralised and well presented (fakes are frequently poorly engraved around the edge even if the obverse and reverse designs are well crafted).

It is worth also checking the design with the stated minting date, the Royal Mint says they change the design regularly, and publish the dates of the various designs here:

http://www.royalmint.com/Corporate/facts/coins/OnePoundCoin.aspx

The Royal Mint's complete guidance on fake one pound coins can be found here:

http://www.royalmint.com/Corporate/facts/CounterfeitPoundCoins.aspx

Matt

If our money was made of gold, silver, nickle, and copper we would not have this problem.  

 also no inflation.

  the British pound is a very attractive coins, I like the ones that I have and can understand someone wanting to collect them all.

   the nazi try that with paper money!

do they know who doin this?china?

If somebody can make a pound coin that is indistinguishable from the real thing, aren't they doing the Royal Mint a favor?

Is there any UK collector interest in counterfeit pounds?

Citation: CeruleanIs there any UK collector interested in counterfeit pounds?

That is what I was wondering, as I have four of them! Took this quick picture, in twilight. Will add better individual ones tomorow to show why I know they are fakes ...

Citation: james wolfe do they know who doin this?china?

It's not a conspiracy by any Communist or Nazi regime to overthrow the British economy (or economy isn't worth that much!)

Rather, its ordinary (though many are very skillful artisans) criminals here in the UK manufacturing counterfeit pound coins.

If you ever find a pound coin being rejected by a vending machine or slot machine in the UK, and most us have, then chances are you have found a counterfeit pound coin.

I personally can see the attraction of collecting the counterfeits as works of creative art in their own right, though it is illegal to spend them (whether knowing them to be counterfeit or naive the fact). Strictly speaking they should be handed in to the local police station, who will NOT give you anything back for them....I know where my fakes end up <g>

Matt

is it really worth making these i ,i mean the cost to make those coins,the press ,the dies ,so on an so on ???

i have 3 1983 pound coins seen on the list that was one of the years they faked i compared the edge letterings and theyre all in different spots which lettering should be where for i know the edges are both upside down read and rightside up read so what letters should match specific points on each way

https://en.numista.com/forum/topic3687.html

 No special place. It is like you said both on the above topic and the above reply, there is no specific edge lettering position A or B, nor does it start at any specific place. I think 'A' position means when the heads (obverse) is on top then it means the lettering is upright. I was not sure about starting points for lettering though, until I took this picture below (admittedly for a 1987 pound, not 1983) which shows different letters against (for example) the date on the obverse; luckily at the same time shows upright and inverted edge lettering as well. Oh, and in this picture, both are genuine - as far as anyone really can tell these days !

                                              

  I remember reading somewhere a few years ago that it costs a forger about £0.10 to make a £1.00 coin, then it is sold to a distributor for about £0.30 each. Can't remember where I read it, or if those figures are exact. Here is one of the four in my picture above. All four have the correct reverse by the way, though I know some fakes do not have those changing reverse designs every year like genuine ones do. The first thing I check is the edge lettering quality, which this photo tries to show is not very good. It also shows that though the unseen reverse is correct (as mentioned) the lettering is wrong. It shows (underneath) A genuine 2000 pound reads the Welsh motto PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD and the fake (on top) reads the standard DECUS ET TUTAMEN. Furthermore the milling (reeding) is not as good.

                                           

dont you mint do any thing about this???

  The second thing I check is the orientation of obverse against reverse; by holding the obverse upright between fingers, is the reverse also upright or is it off by some degrees. The genuine coin is at the top of this picture (though if it were not for the misalignment I would have been fooled as it is a really good fake).

                                             

Citation: 0gramzi have 3 1983 pound coins seen on the list that was one of the years they faked i compared the edge letterings and theyre all in different spots which lettering should be where for i know the edges are both upside down read and rightside up read so what letters should match specific points on each way

EVERY year is subject to being faked. Most of the modern fakes are so good they fool the banks (there is a private company in Andover which specialises in detecting counterfeit pound coins).

But, as its been said, check the orientation of the obverse and reverse, these should be precisely 180 degrees apart. Then check the design against the Royal Mints design for that year. Finally, check the inscription around the edge for correct wording and quality of the engraving.

And even then you may still have a fake, but it will be so good (like millions of them are) that no one will ever know!!!!

Matt

 i still did not hear any thing about what is the mint doing about???it s a sad thing this is happening!!!

I wondered whether the edge lettering was always facing the same way each year, and if not, were they  they fakes. I emailed the Royal Mint and this was their reply.

The lettering on the edge of a £1 is added to the blank in a separate process, prior to the blank being struck with the obverse and reverse designs in the coining press. When the blanks are fed into the coining press, they are not sorted. Consequently, something like half of £1 coins will have the inscription upright when the royal portrait is facing upwards, while the other half will have the inscription upright when the reverse design is facing upwards.

Interesting.

thanks ,that is interesting

 Re-using an old thread from seven months ago. I got a strange forgery today; the bridge on the reverse looks like the original design was copied, but the obverse has a portrait that someone has taken time over to create a new one !?
 The medal orientation they got right - both sides are vertical in relation to each other - but the forgery quick giveaway is the rubbish edge design. It is in the correct style (like a double helix) for the bridge coin, but it is poorly made. A collector would also know that the 2008 date on the obverse is also wrong, as the bridge on the reverse was only used on 2005 coins. Also there was beading on the obverse of original 2005 coins, which was omitted on later 2008 ones. In all the pictures below the forgery is on the left ...

have you told the mint about this   fake    coin , an thank you zacuk

does any one know if its legal to sell  the fake pound coins in the UK as collectors items. i have not been collecting them for long but have got some which are alike and was thinking of trying to sell them for a couple of quid each.

James - No, as they would take it as evidence, and I would therefore be £1 poorer.
 
Alastair - It is a criminal offence. For example, here is what eBay write ...
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/currstamps.html

again thank you zacuk, i understand what you say  

You would be much better collecting contemporary forgeries from pre decimalisation.

Today I was shown a friends contemporary forged spade guinea. I also have a forged florin from about 1930 and a forged denarius of septimus severus

Citation: shootinfishinYou would be much better collecting contemporary forgeries from pre decimalisation.

Today I was shown a friends contemporary forged spade guinea. I also have a forged florin from about 1930 and a forged denarius of septimus severus

have any photos ??? an welcome to numista

Hi, I'm at work all night on duty but will post pics of the florin and denarius when I'm home, nO problem mate

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/how-to-spot-a-fake-£1-coin.html
https://en.numista.com/forum/topic3969.html

  Still would like to see that fake florin - never seen one !

  Just using an old topic, rather than create a new one, as today I have got in my pocket change
a fake TWO pound UK coin ...



 Even though it is dated 2008 it may have been made more recently. Anyone else seen any !?

 Fake coin on the left in these pictures ...



 The four reasons it is a fake:
1. Edge lettering is italic but reeding poor (see below)
2. Obverse not aligned with reverse (see below)
3. General poor quality
4. Sounds dull when dropped on table


 The fake on top of first picture, and second shows the fake in a mirror - the date should be at base of reverse not round to the left by about 10 degrees.  

Citation: ZacUKJust using an old topic, rather than create a new one, as today I have got in my pocket change
a fake TWO pound UK coin ...

 Even though it is dated 2008 it may have been made more recently. Anyone else seen any !?

I am suspicious about two 1986 Commonwealth Games £2 I bought the other day from a punter who had himself bought them for £1 from a stall at the flea market (apparently the shop keepers wont accept them and he was led to believe they were not legal tender, I gave him face value for them).

My suspicion is based on the edge lettering not being centralised around the rim, but otherwise they look fine, so I am erring on the side of genuine, unless Zac knows different?

Matt

wow !!! now its two pound coins!!!  

Citation: Matt_ProbertMy suspicion is based on the edge lettering not being centralised around the rim, but otherwise they look fine, so I am erring on the side of genuine, unless Zac knows different?

I will look at all my spares (not for exchange or sale) in a moment -  I think they are all central though.



 I have 2 England, 6 Scotland, 2 Northern Ireland, 3 Wales, and 1 error (blank), and all 14 look central.

Has anyone seen this before? I got it in my change a year or so ago.
I got quite excited and thought I had something special, until it was pointed out that the middle had been popped out and put in the wrong way around.

  Yes - last month I wrote about the one I got a while ago ...

https://en.numista.com/forum/topic27235.html#p225724

I also got a fake uk 1 pound coin while travelling in Scotland, thought to keep it and swap it.
Anybody wants it?

Hello Commodore,
I need one Fake UK 1 pound for my collection if its a fake coin.
I will very happy to swap your Fake UK 1 pound coin, what are my coins you want ?

Is there a bigger value for such a fake pound?

The new bimetal pound with iSIS technology should stop the counterfeiting for a minute.

Citation: "kommodore"​I also got a fake uk 1 pound coin while travelling in Scotland, thought to keep it and swap it.
​Anybody wants it?
​

I think that this one doesn't have to be a fake, it has just been too long in circulation, what does the edge writing look like?​

There is no such design for 1994.

Citation: "kommodore"​There is no such design for 1994.

​Kommodore is correct. This thistle design was only used for years 1984 and 1989.

I got it from a Subway restaurant in Glasgow
Instantly realized it's a fake, but I took it home, thought someone would like it

Apart from that fake £2 from 2008 I showed above, I now have another (different design) ...

which should have 2011 date not 2015 https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces17100.html
Made from one piece of metal and has a redesigned portrait - and also a wrong obverse anyway,
as this has TWO POUNDS on both sides and date is in wrong place.
Like it was taken from this 2015 £2 ... https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces68047.html

Incredible quality on this one.
You're sure it's not an error/pattern?

Zac's 2015 £2 looks like one of the Chinese novelty replicas that were being sold on ebay earlier this year. They have a reeded edge (no inscription), and the Queen's eye does not look correct.

Unfortunately, they were being sold as genuine Royal Mint error coins for high prices.

These are the £1 fakes I have found:

They are both non-magnetic and one has a plastic jacket

Security info. on the new £1 coin - https://youtu.be/5sLhzorMQMc

Citation: "kommodore"​There is no such design for 1994.

​Right, I didn't check the year. Although I've had a lot of 'tired' coins in my hands that looked similar.

Here from 2008.

Some of those fakes are fooling no-one. Anyway the Royal Mint should change the design and shape of it. It's a brutal-looking lump-like coin. Maybe something thinner in stainless steel?

Until 1831, you could be hung for forging a £1 note (called uttering in those days), and there is a famous parody note from the time showing men being hung for a quid.

I also read that some 8% of all pound coins in circulation are likely to be counterfeits.

Ooops, I stand corrected, just saw a new coin is coming out and it looks much better!

Last photo from dikayopilak - coin looks terrible and ridiculous. I wonder that coins for children games are struck better :)

Thank you for information. I would like to check my one pound coin now.

A very interesting thread... a few contributors mentioned what were the Royal Mint doing about the fake coins - I think it safe to say the new pound coin with its bimetallic composition and 12 sides should make forgery harder but no doubt some will try.

The bogus 2 pounds coins means I need to check my coin hunt Album to see if they are all genuine.

Its ironic but something in the genes of collectors that some would like to collect the fakes. I'm sure if I didn't collect coins- I'd collect something else like glass paperweights which I see cheap at Car Boots sales. But my wife has threatened divorce if I do - she's already moaning about the (growing) space my coins take up.