High Plains Writer wrote:

"Linda" wrote
Can anybody give me a
short course in how to tell a good, circulated reproduction of a liberty
quarter from the real deal?

Anything than can be counterfeited will be. I have seen poor copies
of Large Cents and much else, all fairly common. That said, generally
speaking, there is not much reason TODAY to go through the trouble of
making a counterfeit Seated Quarter (or Standing Liberty; you do not
specify which Type). HOWEVER, any uncommon date or mintmark will be
faked.

The usual benchmarks are to look for a "soapy", "bubbly" or rough
surface. Make sure the coin has ridges along the rim (not always a
true test, but one test). Look for casting flash or file marks on the
rim. Basically, the best way to know is to get a genuine coin of that
Type and compare yours to it.

There are several good books about counterfeit detection that explain
the flaws of cast and die-struck fakes. I was helped immensely in my
understanding by the Hancock and Spanbauer "Standard Catalog of United
States Altered and Counterfeit Coins". It's a few decades old now, but
as a guide to contemporary counterfeits and criminal methods through
1973 it is more than adequate.

Alan
'makes a good start'