Riddle

I have two coins, one is marked George I and one is marked George IV. One is genuine but one is a forgery. Which is the forgery?

Choose an answer

A.George IV, since it's a rounder number
B.Neither is a forgery
C.Both are forgeries
D.George I, as it wouldn't have been marked with a number before subsequent kings existed
Hint: It's a 15-word phrase with 71 letters, starting with "G".

Answer

George I, as it wouldn't have been marked with a number before subsequent kings existed

Why this is the answer

Numbering a king "the First" only makes sense retroactively once a second ruler of that name exists, so no coin from his own reign would call him "George I."

This riddle is filed under Time, Money, Music Riddles and rated Hard.