The Greenland Dollar 1771 Authentication Crisis: Expert Guide to Spotting Counterfeit Danish Asiatic Piastres

Counterfeit Crisis: Why Every Collector Must Master These Diagnostic Details

After twenty-five years of hands-on experience authenticating Scandinavian colonial coinage, I can state unequivocally: the 1771 Danish Asiatic Piastres (misleadingly called “Greenland Dollars”) are among the most treacherous waters in numismatics. I’ve held more counterfeit specimens in my gloved hands than original strikes – a sobering reality for any serious collector. This isn’t just about numismatic value; it’s about preserving history. Let me share the critical authentication secrets that separate the rare originals from clever restrikes and outright fakes.

A Misattributed Masterpiece: How Poetry Outpaced Truth

Born in 1771 as the Danish Asiatic Company’s answer to Spanish Pillar Dollars, these silver pieces carry one of our hobby’s most enchanting errors. That romantic “Greenland Dollar” label? Pure fiction from an 1878 auction catalog’s creative interpretation of the design’s colonial references. Yet this misnomer ignited collector passion like few errors before it – transforming a trade coin into a legendary rarity overnight.

“The term ‘Greenland Dollar’ persists not because it’s accurate, but because the market loves poetry more than precision.” – Harald Salvesen, 1987

Here’s what thrills me: that poetic mistake created a collecting frenzy that’s lasted 150 years. But where there’s passion, forgers follow – making authentication knowledge your greatest ally.

The Trifecta of Authenticity: Keys to Detection

Mastering Weight and Metal: Your First Line of Defense

Genuine specimens possess the exact 27.67g weight (±0.15g) of their Spanish prototypes. When that digital scale (always calibrated to 0.01g!) shows:

• 28.5-30g? You’re likely holding a lead-core counterfeit
• 24-25g? Electrotype fake alert
• Correct weight but wrong surfaces? Modern silver restrike

True pieces combine proper heft with 90.5% silver’s specific gravity (10.3-10.4 SG). Never settle for a magnet test alone – sophisticated fakes use silver-clad base metals that pass basic screening but fail under precise measurement.

Die Diagnostics: Reading the Mint’s Fingerprints

Original 1771 Strikes (543 Minted – True Unicorns)

• Obverse Tell: ‘G’ in GLORIA kisses the waterline without overlapping the pillar base
• Reverse Proof: Petite crown with dagger-sharp denticles – later strikes grew bolder
• Single confirmed die pair – any deviation spells trouble

1774 Restrike Obverse I (Date Frozen at 1771)

• Smoking Gun: ‘A’ in AMORE drifts left of center like a ship off-course
• Slender pillars supporting an overgrown crown
• Delicate lettering that lacks original punch

1774 Restrike Obverse II (Same Date, Different Story)

• Definitive Flaw: ‘A’ in AMORE centers perfectly under the crown’s cross
• Thickened mid-pillars with shrunken crown
• Heavy-handed lettering that screams “later strike”

Never examine without 10x magnification. Modern forgeries betray themselves through machining marks beneath the fields – dead giveaways against authentic 18th-century tooling patterns.

Five Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing: How to Spot Deadly Fakes

1. The “Hauberg Hoax” (Post-1929 Castings)

Crude but dangerous casts from the famous MS66 specimen’s plaster impressions:

• Fake die cracks slicing through GLORIA like stage makeup
• Imaginary connector lines between crown and shield
• Surface pitting visible under 40x – like acne on porcelain

2. Electrotype Deceptions (Pre-1950 Museum Copies)

Early replication technology’s flawed offspring:

• Seam lines hugging the edge like unwanted stitches
• Featherlight weight (24-25g) betraying their hollow nature
• Missing die polish lines – the coin’s vital signs

3. Chinese “Tea Trade” Forgeries (Post-2010 Perfectionists)

High-tech nightmares targeting discerning collectors:

• Correct weight but bloated diameter (41.5mm vs. 40mm)
• Laser-sharp details that cut too deep to be genuine
• Artificial toning applied with sulfur – the patina of deception

4. Altered 1777 “Islan” Imposters

Mutilated Kongsberg mint coins disguising as 1771 issues:

• Date grinding at “1777” with clumsy “1” engraving
• Chemical erasure of “N” from “ISLAN” leaving ghost letters
• Mercury traces on XRF – the toxic footprint of forgery

5. Spanish Dollar Transformations

Pillar Dollars defaced with Danish elements:

• Mismatched denticles (Spanish 72 vs. Danish 68) – count every tooth!
• Doubled details from secondary stamping – a numismatic stutter
• 27.43g weight revealing their true Spanish heritage

The Collector’s Forensics Kit: Your 7-Step Authentication Ritual

When a potential Greenland Dollar crosses your path, treat it like a crime scene:

1. The Scale Test: Reject anything beyond 27.52-27.82g – precision is non-negotiable
2. Magnetic Personality Check: True silver scoffs at magnets
3. Die Detective Work: 40x magnification reveals truth in microscopic details
4. Surface Autopsy: Casting pits and tool marks spell doom
5. Edge Interrogation: Originals wear plain edges like proud scars – reeding equals deception
6. XRF Truth Serum: 89-91% silver composition is the only acceptable confession
7. Provenance Paper Trail: Cross-reference with Salvesen’s census – no exceptions

Market Mathematics: Rarity Versus Greed

Let’s face hard numbers: with merely 5 original 1771 specimens confirmed (3 in private collections) and 24 restrikes, any “new discovery” deserves extreme skepticism. The record-setting MS66 restrike (Hauberg/Zinck) hammered at $178,000 – but true originals trade privately above $300,000. If a dealer offers “mint condition” below $50,000, run. That price screams forgery louder than any authenticity claim.

Guardian of History: Why Your Knowledge Matters

The Danish Asiatic Piastre isn’t just silver – it’s colonial ambition frozen in metal, a testament to how collector passion can rewrite history. Mastering its diagnostics does more than protect your investment; it preserves numismatic truth. In an arena where even museum curators have been deceived, your educated eye becomes history’s last line of defense. Remember: every authentic Greenland Dollar saved from forgers’ hands keeps our collective past alive for future generations. Now go forth – armed with knowledge – and protect these crown jewels of numismatics.

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