CAC - sticker fakery ?

Hey guys,

With the CAC being a hot topic these days, I thought I would stir the pot just a little more...

Any concerns about hustles with the sticker ?

If it becomes widely believed that a CAC sticker indicates higher value, then CAC stickered coins will demand higher prices. This provides a profit motive to do CAC sticker scams.

Two major ones come to mind :

COUNTERFEIT STICKERS : Not the easiest thing to do, but a convincing fake CAC sticker would be much easier than a convincing counterfeit coin or a slab.

REMOVING FROM ONE SLAB AND PLACING ON ANOTHER : Again, not easy to do without tearing up the sticker. But crooks can be very ingenious with the use of solvents etc.

Yes, I'm sure CAC has thought of all this.

Personally, I'm not worried. But what are your thoughts ? Any other hustles to be wary of ? Any field reports of scam artists ?





(Forgive me if this topic is already discussed within another thread)

 

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They have. You can look up if a coin has a valid sticker.

http://www.caccoin.com/look-up-your-coins/

So unless the slab and sticker are both counterfeit, the concern of a fake sticker is mitigated with the above link.

 

COUNTERFEIT STICKERS :

CAC has an on-line database where you can check/verify the ID numbers of CAC stickered coins: http://www.caccoin.com/look-up-your-coins/

REMOVING FROM ONE SLAB AND PLACING ON ANOTHER :

The CAC stickers are designed to essentially self-destruct, if an attempt is made to remove them from a holder. I think it would be impossible to remove a sticker from one holder and affix it to another, without their being very obvious evidence of such.

Keep in mind, that in almost every case, whatever premium there might be for a CAC stickered coin, it would pale in comparison to the $ that could be made by selling counterfeit or switched coins in counterfeit holders.

 

So why not worry about the whole enchilada, They could counterfeit a slab that has a CAC'd serial number with a counterfeit CAC sticker and a counterfeit coin.

 

has there been any reports of fake stickers?

 

I check several coin forums almost every day and have never heard of one.

 

Do I hear opportunity knocking?

 

CAC stickers have been faked by the Chinese, on fake TPG slabs with real certification numbers that match the coins. Nothing is a guarantee of authenticity anymore. It can be especially deceiving with only a photo to look at, unless you know the indicators to tell a fake slab (they're getting better at that too). Not easy to ID a fake hologram in a photo.

 

If CAC will sticker a coin they agree has the correct grade (or better), should they not also be stickering coins submitted that, in CAC opinion, should be graded lower?????

 

That would be fair IMO, but then too many people would be afraid to use CAC services.

 

But that would defeat the purpose of CAC.

Ever wonder how many coins CAC does NOT sticker, which would indicate CAC does not agree with the grade on the label?

 

If they included those coins that did not sticker in their online database, removing the sticker would be less effective.

 

Can you please cite a reference or web address to see one?

 

No. Then again I'm not hung up on stickers and labels so I guess that'd explain why I never wondered that.

 

I would be more concerned about a fake slab or coin than a CAC sticker. If a CAC sticker is obviously counterfeit, the slab might be more problematic.

 

I only see his posts that are quoted, but just because I don't see them, doesn't mean he isn't wrong. The following FAQ comes directly from the CAC Website.

3. If a coin doesn’t receive a CAC sticker, does this mean CAC believes the coin is over-graded?

Absolutely not. There are many coins that are certified accurately for their grade. Unfortunately, it is an inescapable reality that many are at the lower end of the quality range for the assigned grade. CAC’s rejection of a coin does not necessarily mean that CAC believes the coin has been over-graded. It simply means that there are other coins with CAC stickers that are of higher quality for the grade. CAC will eventually reject tens of thousands of accurately graded coins. Many of these rejected coins will be acceptable to numerous dealers and collectors and will continue to be available in the marketplace. For quality-conscious collectors and dealers, a coin with a CAC sticker will have significant meaning.

 

Actually, CAC could agree with the grade given by the TPG, but might think the coin is in the lower third of the grade and thus not eligible for a CAC sticker. Alternatively, CAC could agree with the grade and even think the coin is high end for the grade, but might believe the coin was messed with in the past and thus not eligible for a CAC sticker.

 

Here was a previous thread on the fake slab, stickers and coin, that could be ordered direct from China. I had ordered one of these at the time and as totally expected got a highly magnetic fake. I had my fun and destroyed it.

http://www.cointalk.com/t205018/

The original link no longer works, nor does a link to the seller, Jewelry Queen. But Ali Express still exists, and a search finds coins like this still available:

http://www.aliexpress.com/product-fm/550846739-morgan-dollar-1900-s-dates-US-high-quality-coins-retail-whole-sale-free-shipping-wholesalers.html

The Jewelry Queen store at the time had rare silver and gold coins listed - all called "genuine" and many slabbed - all at too-good-to-be-true, dirt cheap prices. At that time the metal composition also wasn't listed.

The site now seems to call most of these types "souvenirs" or replicas.

 

Can't find my 30's suit case.........