Notable Differences
- The maple leaf has a highly polished finish on the genuine coin but a matte finish on the counterfeit. The detail is also more coarse on the counterfeit.
- The security mark is laser-engraved on genuine coins. It is a two-dimensional textured maple leaf with the year ("15") in the center visible under magnification. On the counterfeit coin, the security mark is incorporated into the die, leaving a three-dimensional raised mark.
- The radial lines on genuine coins are very fine and result in a light-diffracting pattern. The lines on the counterfeit coin are thicker, spaced further apart, and do not refract light as the genuine coins do.
- The queen's portrait has a highly polished finish on the genuine coin but a matte finish on the counterfeit.
Discussion & Detection
This was the counterfeiters' first attempt to replicate the new security features added to the silver maple in 2014. While the design features are present on the fake coin, they are far from convincing. Coupled with the wrong finish on the maple and portrait, there are plenty of visual indicators that this coin is fake.
