Ebay seller question

I heard some people claim that this seller sellers a lot of cast fakes( not on here- on another message board)
https://www.ebay.com/usr/highrating_lowprice?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2754

But I have purchased a few coins from this seller in the last and none of them appear cast fakes, or fake in general. not even pressed. Am I wrong or are these others?
here is some coins I purchased from this seller

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No, he doesn't sell fakes, but he does engage in other disreputable practices. For example, he will price a coin 8 to 10 times higher than what it's worth. He's hoping to entrap newcomers to the hobby and rip them off. Yes, they get a genuine coin, but they paid so much for it that they'll never get their moneyh back if they ever want to sell it.

His Ebay name should be changed to "High ratings, even higher prices".

Also, his videos on YouTube are very low par. You can tell this is a man who doesn't really care about ancient coins or ancient history, and it's just trying to make a quick buck from unsuspecting victims. I don't have a fancy voice or media training whatsoever, and I could probably make a better video than he does because I actually have a passion for the field that this guy sees as nothing more than a cash cow.

That's my opinion anyway, let's see what others here have to say and judge for yourself.

 

This Tiberius was $40 bucks- But I didn't think it was THAT overpriced considering its an early Roman emperor

 

This seller has been discussed here many times. Search for his eBay name on this board and you can read many anecdotes and opinions. His coins are genuine. His business practices are distasteful but I and many others have occasionally bought reasonably priced coins from him using the "make offer" button.

In order to quell rumors, tell us the board where you saw the "cast fakes" opinion so we can read it for ourselves. There is no need to withhold that information. Do you know anything about the poster who rendered the opinion? Is that person knowledgeable about ancient coins?

 

You overpaid. And I am sure you overpaid for what looks like near slugs in the OP too.

 

You probably could have gotten much better for the same kind of money if you had bought from more reputable sources. $40 can get you some nice, easily identifiable ancient coins.

 

This Tiberius was $49.00 just purchased to help teach Roman numerals: And this may have been a little high.

 

I came across that one. I was thinking about it. I thought that was a bit overpriced For some reason it didn't look 100% genuine to me. Half the coin is totally shot where the other half is very fine. ( the nose, the legend in the reverse) It prob is real but I just didn't feel comfortable taking that chance

 

It's called uneven strike, and also the reverse die might have been getting old and worn when that coin was struck. But none of the strike unevenness looks like something that couldn't be the result of typical mint quality control in ancient times.

Look also at what's there, the letters which are well struck are sharp, not soappy, and the portrait looks normal for that type of wear. The fields also look normal.

My advise is that you should stick to safe and reputable dealers until you know what to look for. It will take a while for you to learn, so play it safe, ask for our advise on dealers before you part with your hard earned cash.

 

Here are some nice places to shop for ancient coins from reputable dealers at great prices.

www.augustuscoins.com
www.bargainbinancients.com
www.coolcoins.com

 

+100 Highly recommend all of those, also try this one. He has a bargain section that may interest you too. He previously went under the name Ancient Imports.

https://mrbcoins.com/

 

it was in an auction by a very reputable seller- Ed Beck who guarantees his coins for life. This coin is about as far away from being a fake as you will get. To fake a coin like that and add all the various wear, patina etc would take you far more hours than the $49 is worth. Your criticisms are way out of line considering the state of the coins you purchased. You are probably a beginner?

 

Augustus coins @Valentinian and Bargain Bin ancients @Brian Bucklan are both posters here on CT and will help you get educated about ancients. Just email them with your questions.

 

I kindly suggest not taking the bait... that is all this is.

 

It does smell a little fishy... Thanks for the suggestion

 

You are the one being out of line. I stated my personal choice. I didnt feel it was 100% genuine so I didn't feel comfortable in bidding that. I didn't say it was fake. I said it was prob real. relax.You are behaving in a very offensive manner

 

ty

 

You considerer that Alexander the Great Macedonian shield a slug? It looks in pretty good shape. That doesn't come with a legend.

 

You can block any member who you feel is being offensive or disrespectful to you, and that make their posts … miraculously disappear, you don't even see them on the thread. This is after all an entertaining hobby. So it's best to avoid any stresses. There's no point arguing back or trying to make your point about what seems a personal insult. You'll just receive more of the same. Block and move on.

On the original question, I've also looked at the numbers
- the coins of highrating etc are genuine
- usually he initially lists them at three to four times a normal reasonable price, after buying them maybe one third below retail (many of the purchases are at public auction so the prices are public), and he allows offers
- after a few months he reduces the price by 60% (exactly) which still leaves the coin at about half above a typical retail, and he allows offers
- if you like a coin and at the 60% off price it just seems somewhat high, you'll get to the normal retail price by making an offer about one third below the (60% reduced price) and you may get a good coin at a fair price.

So in numbers
- he will buy a coin for $1000 including commission
- he lists it at $5000 (and allows offers)
- after a few months he reduces the price 60% to $2000 (and allows offers)
- the coin is probably fair value in the $1200 to $1500 range. So that's when I make an offer.

Once you know the routine and wait til the 60% off phase and then make a significantly lower offer you may get a nice coin at a normal price. Of course since the numbers are all over the place, this is a seller that only experienced collectors should buy from as you really need to know what a coin is really worth from your own experience, Beginners should run a mile.