Megalodon Tooth - Real or Fake?

[EmptyCar]

Hello all, I bought this megalodon tooth in South Africa a few years ago, and I was just recently curious as to its authenticity.

 

[EmptyCar]

Just realised I posted this in the wrong forum, I'm not too sure how to delete it.

[Troodon]

Looks like a river tooth from South Carolina, real.

[EmptyCar]

1 minute ago, Troodon said:

Looks like a river tooth from South Carolina, real.

People were saying the colouration was too 'uniform', what do you think of this?

[Top Trilo]

Just now, EmptyCar said:

People were saying the colouration was too 'uniform', what do you think of this?

This black coloration is common in the south east united states, Most megalodon fakes are only partly faked, generally they just add restoration to small parts to make it more complete or larger and I don't see any change in color or texture on yours

[EmptyCar]

Just now, Top Trilo said:

This black coloration is common in the south east united states, Most megalodon fakes are only partly faked, generally they just add restoration to small parts to make it more complete or larger and I don't see any change in color or texture on yours

So therefore, is this completely real then in your opinion? It's around 3.8 inches long and I really like it, I hope it is authentic.

[Top Trilo]

Just now, EmptyCar said:

So therefore, is this completely real then in your opinion? It's around 3.8 inches long and I really like it, I hope it is authentic.

Yes looks completely real when they are faked there are little to no cracks or damage and generally on larger teeth just to make a bigger profit

[EmptyCar]

1 minute ago, Top Trilo said:

Yes looks completely real when they are faked there are little to no cracks or damage and generally on larger teeth just to make a bigger profit

I'm very glad to hear this, as I had posted this on Reddit, and people had mixed opinions as to it's authenticity, so I decided to post on an official fossil forum. Thank you all for your identification! 

[Fossildude19]

Moved to IS IT REAL.  

[FranzBernhard]

"Rivers" can turn various objects at their surface nearly black. Your tooth isn´t completely black, I can see brownish parts and the cracks are off-white?

Well, this does not totally exclude, that the tooth has been painted over, but in my opinion, the color is natural.

Further on, it has some wear on it (well, not much of the serration left over) and the root is missing to a large part. A very nice tooth as it is, but no one would fake an incomplete and not very large tooth.

Anyways, you can be proud of having one of the iconic fossils in your possesion!
Franz Bernhard

 

[EmptyCar]

5 minutes ago, FranzBernhard said:

"Rivers" can turn various objects at their surface nearly black. Your tooth isn´t completely black, I can see brownish parts and the cracks are off-white?

Well, this does not totally exclude, that the tooth has been painted over, but in my opinion, the color is natural.

Further on, it has some wear on it (well, not much of the serration left over) and the root is missing to a large part. A very nice tooth as it is, but no one would fake an incomplete and not very large tooth.

Anyways, you can be proud of having one of the iconic fossils in your possesion!
Franz Bernhard

 

I'm very happy it's real, the 'brownish' parts, may potentially be debris, and yes it's got some wear, that's why I thought it would be legitimate as it's incomplete; however overall I think it's a very nice looking tooth.

 

Thank you for your help, 

11 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Moved to IS IT REAL.  

Thank you, apologies for posting in the wrong forum, I didn't realise there was a separate one for real/fakes.  

[Fossildude19]

5 minutes ago, EmptyCar said:

Thank you, apologies for posting in the wrong forum, I didn't realise there was a separate one for real/fakes.  

 

 

No worries.   

[EmptyCar]

Also just wanted to ask, is it safe to wash this fossil to remove excess debris?

 

I haven't touched it really since I've owned it.

[Fossildude19]

I wouldn't get it totally wet, and submerge it under water,  but if you use a soft toothbrush, and dip it in soapy water, you should be OK. 

 

 

Also, fakes or restored teeth usually appear in better condition.  Yours is a bit beat up, and serrations are worn = real. 
Megs are graded based on their completeness, sharpness of their serrations and colors.   

 

[EmptyCar]

5 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

I wouldn't get it totally wet, and submerge it under water,  but if you use a soft toothbrush, and dip it in soapy water, you should be OK. 

 

 

Also, fakes or restored teeth usually appear in better condition.  Yours is a bit beat up, and serrations are worn = real. 
Megs are graded based on their completeness, sharpness of their serrations and colors.   

 

I have it in a little display case, I think the front looks very nice, glad to hear it's real however. I'll be careful washing it also. 

[Praefectus]

+1 for real. Nice tooth.

[PrehistoricWonders]

Looks good to me. Nice piece.

Edited May 14, 2021 by Familyroadtrip

[FranzBernhard]

1 hour ago, EmptyCar said:

however overall I think it's a very nice looking tooth.

Yes, it is a nice looking tooth, I like it, too.

I am usually dealing with incomplete and imperfect fossils. This don´t bothers me. I just not really like fresh scratches and breaks and something like that. Well, sometimes even these fresh "injuries" already tell a story .

Franz Bernhard

[Troodon]

4 hours ago, EmptyCar said:

People were saying the colouration was too 'uniform', what do you think of this?

I've seen some jet black teeth from SC with very uniform color.  Agree with Tim just use a soft brush to clean the deposits on it or a dental pick for hard to get places.  

[NSRhunter]

I agree it is real however I do also agree it could be naturally from South Africa. Cape Town great whites and Megalodon teeth often have that coloration and wear seems consistent with other teeth found from the beaches of that area.