The most famous counterfeit Saudi gold coins

Admin02/03/2021

54 2 minutes read

Gold coins are known for being the most difficult coins to counterfeit throughout the ages due to the difficulty of obtaining the precious metal, but some distinctive gold pieces, especially Saudi gold coins, have not been immune to counterfeiting.

1- The four Saudi pound coin (1945-46)

This issue is known among researchers and collectors as the Aramco Dollar or Aramco Pound, the first gold discs. These gold coins were issued by the United States Mint in Philadelphia and have a very interesting history. Although not technically coins, they were minted to settle debts owed to the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) between 1945 and 1946. Due to their unique history and high gold content, the metal in these coins is worth a considerable sum today.

20210201_Counterfeit-1945-46-Saudi-Arabia-4P — A fake 4-pound Aramco note

The piece was discovered during its evaluation by the American company NGC, but unfortunately for the person who sent it for evaluation, the piece was found to be a forgery. The company explained the forgery by several factors, which are:

After examining the ingot, it was found that its gold content was 88% instead of the standard 91%. They explained that the ingot had been minted to conceal the true source of someone's wealth, to lend credibility to a gold deposit in a bank, or to sell it to a coin dealer.
The most important reason is the difference in minting quality between the counterfeit and the genuine piece. Upon careful examination, the real currency looks completely different from the counterfeit currency.

The most famous counterfeit Saudi gold coins — The fake piece (left of the image) while the real piece (right of the image)

The counterfeit has softer, more rounded features. Overall, however, it is a relatively convincing fake that would certainly fool many hobbyists, researchers, and dealers.

2- One Saudi pound disc (1947)

It has the exact same weight as British sovereign gold, which was very popular at the time. This interesting history, along with the relatively simple design and high value, made these coins a popular target for counterfeiters. They were forged in the same style as the four-pound coin. The original discs also have a pebbled or dotted effect within the enclosed letters “D” and/or “P”.

The counterfeit pieces also have less sharp detail and almost fade in some areas of the disc.

3- Saudi Pound (1950) 1370 AH

These coins were issued in both 1950 and 1957. They were considered a Saudi version of the very popular English pound. Although only about 2 million pieces were minted in 1950, these coins remain very popular to this day.

The original pieces of these were minted very well. They feature sharp, square details and a nice, flat surface.