Obvious counterfeit or possible real 1873 indian head?

Not to mention high value items are carefully scrutinized and the fakes quickly identified. So you can only move a few before they are discovered. The low value fakes still provide a good profit ($50 for a fake that costs 4 cents to make) and you can move a whole boatload of them before you're found out. Why? Because they aren't examined closely. (The "who would fake a $50 item instead of a high priced coin" mindset.) Remember pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered, so it pays not to be too greedy.

 

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Some time back I picked up a contemporary counterfeit 1/2 cent.

 

That's cool. I got a contemporary counterfeit large cent but never seen a half cent

 

Part of the reason that I posted this one is that I bought a few more expensive coins from him... Nothing crazy because I like to limit my risk until I know whether the coins are legit.

Unfortunately none of the ones I purchased are graded... The only graded one was sold to someone else for $1500 and when I looked up pcgs's value on their verification page it said 12,500! It would probably only sell for $9k though. I still wish I would have gotten there first!!

I've been going over every coin looking for signs of forgery, but nothing is standing out as an obvious fake. (Example... A 1928 buffalo valued fairly low) My coins are valued much less than the one guys, but are still nice coins. I didn't find him on eBay, it was a new app created for local sellers. He seems so clueless when I try to talk to him.

I just don't know what to think right now.

 

I searched his email, his name, his work address.... He's just a stripper and seems clueless about what he has. Should I take the moral high ground and educate him or do I just enjoy the fact that I made a little profit off of the other coins? So confused!

 

I think you should stay out of stripper bars Mom.........

 

You had better be VERY careful.... a potential buyer just knowledgeable enough to be a danger to herself/himself can be a very inviting thing for one with less than noble intentions. I can also promise you that there are some rather impressive coin scams going on out there, often by someone who just "doesn't know what they have".

I can only assume that a stripper fits into a certain age grouping that are rather tech savy; it's not like the old says where grandma didn't have a clue and didn't have many options for getting one. Also, don't base your opinion of if this guy is on the up and up upon his having genuine lower value coins. A good way to pass a pricey fake is by using them to build trust, especially with someone who doesn't quite have the knowledge to buy safely in such a situation. Trust me, I know and understand the draw of buying cheap, but so do the very people looking to take advantage; in fact that's exactly what they're banking on. I don't know how you found this guy, but, as an example, every time I read on this board of someone (often a kid wanting to play dealer) buying off Craigslist, I cringe. Perhaps it is still okay in some areas, but Craigslist (and the like) has generally become a cesspool of shams, scams, and dreamers all vying for a piece of that easy money pie. This isn't to say there is not good people out there, but just watch yourself. Be honest with yourself about your abilities, don't see what you want to see, and never assume anything about the person on the other side of the table.

 

Thx for the warnings guys. I have researched these coins like crazy. My biggest fear isn't that they are fake, it's that they are stolen. I've tried to search all stolen coins from his city though and nothing is popping up for these years.

I'll post updates over the next few months. This is the first time when I may actually make more than $200 in profit off of a coin!