An unusual fake

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Ken Dorney, Jan 20, 2016.

  1. Ken Dorney

    Ken Dorney Yea, I'm Cool That Way...

    Saw this on Ebay this morning. While I initially didnt think it would fool anyone, I was surprised to see it has 18 bids and is bid to $278! I give them an A+ for creativity, a D for artistic merit, and an A+ for fooling some people.

    s-l1600.jpg
     
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  3. Gil-galad

    Gil-galad I AM SPARTACUS

    Lots of people want to get that Otho slot filled pretty bad.
     
  4. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Which just goes to show that fools abound. BTW, I own a bridge in Brooklyn I am trying to sell on Ebay. Anyone interested?
     
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  5. Gil-galad

    Gil-galad I AM SPARTACUS

    How much are you selling it for, Bing? lol
     
  6. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    How much are you willing to pay?
     
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  7. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    From the annals of the lazy counterfeiter. Fake a brokage and you only have to fake half a coin.
     
    Last edited: Jan 20, 2016
  8. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    I agree with the grades as presented but have to wonder why there are no letters behind the head. If I were making such a thing I might make it using a coin as the reverse die just like the real thing but I wonder if this was a die made for the purpose. The real way would make each brockage different possibly fooling people who have been told to beware of identical coins. Of course there is the matter of the die work being nothing like the real thing (hence D for artistic merit). As I get older and nastier, I am feeling less sorry for people with $278 of free cash and not a nickel's worth of common sense. Fakes of $20 coins made to fool tourists bother me but fakes of $700 coins made to sell for $200 to people who think they can get 'a deal' are bothering me less and less. Have you seen the obverse used with a reverse? I am a bit impressed by the way the obverse is off center losing part of the OTHO opening the market to people savvy enough to spot a sleeper. I'd market it as a rare brockage error and not mention the Otho part to attract the 'smart' crowd.
     
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  9. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    These are from heritage:

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    [​IMG]
     
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  10. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    It's not uncommon to lose lettering on a brokage strike as the lettering is in lower relief. Ken is too generous with his grade for artistic merit. I give it an F.
     
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  11. tpsadler

    tpsadler Numismatist

    :) :0 Error Strike ????? very very very rare :) or is it a (dozens) fool(s) can be parted with their money ?
     
  12. Gil-galad

    Gil-galad I AM SPARTACUS

    P.T. Barnum once said "There's a sucker born every minute."
     
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  13. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    Out of curiosity, other than the lettering being too nice for a blockage, and the sloppy reverse, what else is wrong with that coin? I don't know anything about Otho coinage, so I'd love to learn what to look out for.
     
  14. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    It appears to be a modern attempt to look like Otho.
    s-l1600a.jpg Otho 1 OBV.jpg
     
  15. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    We can never answer this question fully. How is it you recognize which tree in the school play is your child? How do you look at a signature on a document and know it is genuine? Some of us have seen many Othos; many of us have seen some. The more you have seen, the less this one will look like one to your eyes.
     
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