CoinTesterApp tests coin grading and authentication apps for collectors who want specific counterfeit diagnostics — weight checks, strike details, magnetic tests — not vague 'check for fakes' labels.
Who We Are
Three of us run CoinTesterApp. Two years ago, one of us bought what looked like a Morgan dollar at a coin show and later learned it was a counterfeit from China. The app he tried gave him a photo-match result but no way to verify weight or diameter. That frustration led us to start testing authentication tools seriously. We realized most coin grading apps handle visual identification well but stop short on the physical-test features that actually catch fakes.
Our editorial stance is simple: a real authentication app should walk you through weight, diameter, strike type, and magnetic properties specific to the coin you're holding. Generic warnings don't pass our test. We score apps on whether they give you coin-by-coin diagnostics — the kind of details that separate a confident 'this is real' from a guess.
Methodology
We test across 28 coins spanning three high-counterfeit categories: Morgan dollars (Peace dollars, Susan B. Anthony dollars), Lincoln wheat cents, and Mercury dimes. Each coin undergoes a standard test protocol: we photograph it from multiple angles, take physical measurements with a caliper, check weight on a digital scale, run a magnet test, and listen for the 'ring' or ping when dropped on a tile. We also examine die varieties and striking peculiarities. The full evaluation takes us 40 to 50 hours per app, spread over three to four weeks.
We score on five core criteria: (1) whether the app accepts sensor input (scale weight, caliper diameter); (2) how specific its authentication guidance is per coin type; (3) strike-type awareness — does it distinguish Proof from business strike or SMS from regular coining; (4) whether it surfaces hallmarks and die diagnostics in its visual analysis; and (5) refresh cadence and accuracy of its reference data. We re-test quarterly or after any major app update that claims improved authentication features.
Our Standards
We believe an honest authentication app gives you coin-specific diagnostics, not a checkbox. When you photograph a Morgan dollar, the app should tell you: what weight range is correct for that year and mint mark; what the obverse and reverse dies should look like; whether the strike type (Proof, business, SMS, Specimen) affects the visual details; and how magnetic properties vary by era. Most apps we test show a generic 'check for fakes' label. Real apps let you input measurements from a scale or caliper and cross-reference them against specs. We also score heavily on strike-type handling — whether an app treats all Morgan dollars the same way or recognizes that Proof coins have different striking pressure, sharper details, and sometimes mirror fields. An app that cannot distinguish these scenarios is not useful for serious authentication work.
Disclosure
We do not accept paid placement or early-access deals from app developers; we do not recommend grading or authentication apps we have not used for at least two weeks of real testing with our own coin set. We do not claim that any app can replace a professional third-party grader like PCGS or NGC — our tests are about what tools are useful for in-hand inspection before you decide to send a coin for official grading. We also do not test every coin app on the market; our review set focuses on the highest-counterfeited U.S. coins, and we acknowledge that our strike-type expertise is strongest in Morgan dollars and pre-1935 cents, not ancient or world coin authentication.
Contact
If you're an app developer and want CoinTesterApp to review your authentication or grading tool, or if you think we should test a specific coin series or counterfeit scenario, please reach out through the contact form. We read every submission.