I know people have advised that I stay off eBay until I'm more experienced buying coins, but when I was doing my nightly window shopping on eBay and I came across this coin. Firstly, does anyone see anything that makes them think this is a fake? Secondly, is it a good price? I would be bidding $8.58 + $2.50 for shipping, but someone could obviously outbid me. Thirdly, what do you guys think of the coin in general? The only big mark I see is the one under the Y, and a few small marks on his face. and finally, do you think I could find better prices at the FUN show (if I go)? Still contemplating whether I'm going to buy it.
Firstly, there is no link for us to see the coin, so therefore we can see anything that would make us think it is fake. However, it is not likely a 71-S would be counterfeited as there would be no logical sense to it. I wouldn't go higher than that with the shipping.
FUN = Florida United Numismatists The FUN show is held twice a year in Orlando. The winter 2012 show is January 5-8 at the Orange County Convention Center. It is one of the major coin shows. I hope to attend one of these years.
I really remember putting the thread in the link, but I guess I didn't. Not like it matters now anyways.
There are many counterfeit 1971-S IKE's out there. I have a couple which were sold as original so buyers do need to exercise some caution for raw IKE's. BTW, neither of the coins I have would make it past a grader as the quality really, really sucks.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/REPLICA-COI..._Individual&hash=item45fde1e05d#ht_898wt_1184 There are copies of everything out there nowadays
Wow, an entire bucket of worms! "Let me count the ways". Now to be serious, ways would include weight (consider buying a scale), magnetic properties, characteristics of strike (what is pointing at what), and just an overall feeling. That fake Ike looked like it was grainy and possibly was a cast (poured in a mold) coin rather than struck. The guys here are pretty good at spotting fakes. Practice, practice, practice.
