10-15-2006, 01:34 AM
I agree with Lapa. It can be an encouraging sign, but not something to lean solely upon when thinking about dropping a thousand dollars. Although made of gold which is softer than silver, a Lenin with a #400K serial number would probably have been issued in the 90's - not long enough to get a "crescent" from extended wear.
I think it's been discussed elsewhere, but the "crescent" can come from just being folded in half and rubbing against the suspension pin. Whether you call this "faked" or not, it can either intentionally or unintentionally happen.
I prefer seeing north-south "ding" marks usually on the left and right sides of a medal where it banged up against its neighbors, but a genuine medal may not exhibit this if worn apart from other ones.
I think it's been discussed elsewhere, but the "crescent" can come from just being folded in half and rubbing against the suspension pin. Whether you call this "faked" or not, it can either intentionally or unintentionally happen.
I prefer seeing north-south "ding" marks usually on the left and right sides of a medal where it banged up against its neighbors, but a genuine medal may not exhibit this if worn apart from other ones.












