Electrotype counterfeiting of coins

One method of counterfeiting currency is the electrotype technique. Ironically, this was once the preferred method for both serious collectors and museums to create copies of rare coins for their collections, whether for study or display. Currently, counterfeiters abroad do not favor this method because it is relatively difficult, time-consuming, and labor-intensive, and most importantly, production is limited to individual coins, making it potentially unprofitable.

It is interesting that some of the pieces that were made in this way were produced by an employee of the British Museum named “Robert Cooper Ready” with the help of his sons “Augustus” and ”Charles” for the benefit of the museum and to be sold to visitors. Currently these pieces (more than 22,000 pieces) are sold at a high price and are in demand, and they themselves have been forged!

Method of making

1. Bring a copy of the original currency.

2. Imprint both sides in a material such as clay or wax (the more perfect the imprint, the better the final result).

3. The clay is coated with graphite powder.

5. The clay is immersed in a solution that is a good conductor of electricity.

6. The clay is connected to the negative terminal of a battery or small generator.

7. A small rod – usually made of copper – is also immersed in the same solution and connected to the positive side of the battery.

8. The device is left for some time while monitoring the formation of the coin and is removed from the solution when the face is complete.

9. Usually, two parts are made for each coin; front and back, then they are glued together and the groove is hidden using some simple tools. If it is done well, it is difficult to detect. There are also cases where it has been forged as a single piece.

10. The stage of cutting off the excess edges begins so that the coin looks perfectly round.

Methods of detection:

1. The weight is much less than regular currency because the inside is usually hollow.

2. It is essential to inspect the entire edge (chain). It may appear perfect in one area, but there is always a point on the chain that is difficult for a forger to conceal. There is also a somewhat advanced method: making the front and chain entirely from one piece, with the back section without any edges, so that the back section is "dropped" inside the front and chain.

3. Metal detection: Was the original piece made of copper, for example, or something else?

4. Is the thickness of the piece correct? Even if the original piece was made of copper, it is difficult to obtain the same alloy, and therefore if the thickness is correct, the weight will not be correct.

5. Coins made in this way cannot transfer the collision lines that appear on the original coin as a result of the minting process.

6. Coins made in this way cannot transfer the original luster (luster).

7. Clay is an impermeable material, therefore any air bubbles that were trapped during the process of transferring the image of the currency will appear on the surface of the counterfeit currency - and will appear as very small dots visible to the naked eye. Moreover, when printing the original currency from clay in the first step, small pieces of clay are often removed, and these leave traces of small grooves on the surface of the counterfeit currency - these rises and falls explain the “pebble” or “granular” appearance found on these pieces.

 

It is crucial to remember that no counterfeiting method, regardless of its method, can produce pieces that are identical to the originals. The important thing is to know what to look for and continue to educate yourself. It is also very important not to be deceived if a piece is presented to you in this manner under the guise of being a trial, a minting error, or something similar.

Video explaining the "electrotype" forgery method“