A hypothetical possibility Suppose a rare coin dealer offers for sale a newly discovered cache of mint condition silver dollars dating from the late 19th century. The pitch says they were found in the ocean on some century-old shipwreck. Prices are $150 (minimum) per coin range. Suppose the coins are kinda-fake. They are genuine, in the sense they have not quite pure silver content, but identical to the real thing. But they are fake, in the sense they were minted last week. (So cheap is the current price of silver in comparison. Less than $16 each at current market prices.) So while they are counterfeit they are not quite fake - melt-value wise Note. The "mint" condition implies little post processing is required. Detecting such coins would require a rather serious and scientific assay analysis by metallurgists that can perform such tests. You could buy one or twenty of these coins with the confidence of resale by your estate. I don't know, but I will not
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