On fake coins

teotwawki12 · Sep 15, 2018

So, silly me.... I like to bid on silver coins from time to time on ebay. A few weeks ago I went after a Morgan that only had a minute to go and got a great price with a last minute bid! 16 bucks or so, 20 dollars total with shipping. Then, when I'm checking my items, I see the seller no longer exists...check the shipping status and it's on it's way from China. I think to myself "ohhhhh !!!!...I just got had". A few searches reveal that most any coin like that coming from China is a fake. And yep, comes a couple weeks later and it has this ridiculous "patina" applied and fails the acid test...

So I'm thinking I should just chuck this thing. And while I'm thinking that, I start to think: what if someone chucked one and somebody like me digs it up?? Would that not be the absolute worst?? Finding your MORGAN SILVER DOLLAR and then finding out it's a Chinese counterfeit??? Man....

Anyway, don't be silly like me....watch out for the Chinese fakes...…..take a minute to check that you are bidding on an item from a seller with a good long history...

Junker is on the left.

needler420 · Sep 15, 2018

caveat emptor

Almost anything that has a clone if it's from China it's probably counterfeit. Spyderco knife company just sued ebay over counterfeits.

GKL · Sep 15, 2018

Wow, bummer man, and yes it is good to check the seller's history first, but I can imagine with the bidding only having a minute to go it was easy to jump on it thinking "what a good deal" :shock:

Don't know how much ebay watches for such scammers, but if you happen to spot one again I would report them to ebay asap and maybe help keep someone else from getting scammed.

Foragist · Sep 15, 2018

Sad.

That one probably would've fooled me too; not seeing it was from China, that is. Ebay should cover it. "item not as described". Not sure how they are reacting to counterfeits these days.

Thanks for posting this.

Foragist · Sep 15, 2018

Don't chuck it. It can still be used for jewelry or decorative purposes. Maybe drill it?

amc rulz · Sep 15, 2018

There are fakes all over the place, especially ebay. Coins, rounds, bars etc...stuff that can fool even some at your LCS. They’re even counterfeiting the slabs/grading labels of higher end numismatics.

It's A Trap! · Sep 15, 2018

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/chinese-coin-counterfeiting-ring-4071202

Inside a Chinese Coin Counterfeiting Ring

Mud-puppy · Sep 15, 2018

Those fakes are really ripping through the Numismatic Hobby...Some of the knowledgeable guys from the local coin club are called in to evaluate coins and they are saying some of the fakes are so good, its really tough to distinguish from the real...

If a dedicated counterfeiter can fake a Rolex, faking a silver coin is no big deal....a strong magnet, a strong loupe, a good set of digital calipers, a suspicious nature and real good nose for a line of bull come in handy...

They say they mainly fake the key dates and rare coins, but we are even seeing common date fakes out there....Never buy from a flea market or the internet...be extremely careful even at Garage sales etc...

So...if you can, get involved with a local Numismatic club and attend...buy your stuff there from long time and trusted collectors/dealers...

I dont know where you are in Mich, but we have a real nice active club in MKG and in GR and Ludington too...take that fake in there and it will be a good discussion topic and learning experience for you and us all! Thanks for your Post!

teotwawki12 · Sep 15, 2018

It's A Trap! said:
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/chinese-coin-counterfeiting-ring-4071202

Inside a Chinese Coin Counterfeiting Ring

That is terrible! Good post but you ruined my night....can never drink beer and eBay again.......... :no:

Mud-puppy · Sep 15, 2018

teotwawki12 said:
That is terrible! Good post but you ruined my night....can never drink beer and eBay again..........

Your Post is very valuable to the Forum Membership as a PSA...so we owe you a beer someday if you ever get to the West Side!

Dantheman · Sep 15, 2018

Aliexpress is one of the big sellers of the fakes as well as token style coins. They do list them as copies at least from most sellers on the site. You can tell what they are for sadly. There is no mark or indication on the coins like you would see like ones sold in museum gift shops stating "copy." There are copies for all of the rare coins. I have bought the double sided coin like the one Two Face used in Batman for fun and token style coins the have aliens and such. For a price of around $1.50 for the fake rare ones, I am sure there are lots being cheated. At least if you decided to make a movie and needed coins for a treasure chest, you know where you can get the props. That is the only bright side I can see.

Mikey48 · Sep 15, 2018

you should be able to get your money back if you paid with paypal, even if the seller no longer is listed. File a complaint item not genuine and don't wait to do it. They will probably refund and not request that you return it because they will have to pay the shipping.

teotwawki12 · Sep 15, 2018

Mikey48 said:
you should be able to get your money back if you paid with paypal, even if the seller no longer is listed. File a complaint item not genuine and don't wait to do it. They will probably refund and not request that you return it because they will have to pay the shipping.

I’m on it

Badfish · Sep 15, 2018

needler420 said:
caveat emptor

Almost anything that has a clone if it's from China it's probably counterfeit. Spyderco knife company just sued ebay over counterfeits.

I’ve collected spyderco knives for a while. Lots of fakes. Here’s my collection. Sorry for off topic.

Jason in Enid · Sep 15, 2018

dont ever buy silver or gold from ebay. there are more fakes there than you can imagine.

teotwawki12 · Sep 15, 2018

Mud-puppy said:
Your Post is very valuable to the Forum Membership as a PSA...so we owe you a beer someday if you ever get to the West Side!

Copy that!

Steve · Sep 16, 2018

If it's an american silver coin from China there's a 99.999% chance it's fake.
They also make old fake chinese coins and sell them to unsuspecting local chinese people. Most of my competition does this.. take fake coins and pretend they find them and then sell it for a hefty profit . Photo is a fake silver coin from 100 years ago or so. The much older ones can be worth A LOT.. and most are fake.
This is becoming a problem is Europe as well

Saoirse · Sep 17, 2018

Yes, some of the fakes from China are exceptional quality, going so far as to actually make them from silver / gold. Slabbed coins are also not a safe bet as the copies are very good. Buy only from a reputable dealer who won’t have a problem taking a fake back

Dan B. · Sep 17, 2018

I wonder what the response would be if you walked into a coin shop or flea market with a caliper and a scale so you could check each individual coin. I have purchased both items I will take them with me to the flea market next time I go.

Jason in Enid · Sep 17, 2018

Dan B. said:
I wonder what the response would be if you walked into a coin shop or flea market with a caliper and a scale so you could check each individual coin. I have purchased both items I will take them with me to the flea market next time I go.

Every shop or booth owner would be different but I know my LCS would have no problem if I wanted to do that.

On fake coins

teotwawki12

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needler420

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GKL

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amc rulz

It's A Trap!

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Mud-puppy

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teotwawki12

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Dantheman

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