Legal counterfeit?

How do companies get away with legally reproducing government currency and are they collectable? So called "Tributes".

 

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I don't see a denomination anywhere on the coin. I think that pretty much rules out "counterfeiting".

 

If they had an actual denomination that would be a different story. This is just a generic round made in a buffalo design.

 

Yea, this just counts as bullion. You see these all the time - approximations of actual designs, but with no denomination and a markedly less refined artistic quality

 

This is not just a generic round though. It is an exact copy of real United States government currency. Just without the denomination.

 

So if a government-issued coin no longer has a denomination is it real?

 

It just seems so borderline.

 

I wonder if the company at least had to buy the rights for the design.

 

Can't buy they right because other than the Sac dollar no US coin design is copyrighted.

To a large extent it really depends on what the government says is counterfeit. Technically under the law a LOT of the generic rounds on the market could be considered counterfeits.

Title 18 section 489 could conceivably be interpreted to make any round that has a device that looks anything like a device used on a US or foreign coin could be considered illegal. Not in the law it could be considered illegal if it was just the same COLOR or used the inscriptions. Just putting United states of america on it could make it illegal (if it isn't marked copy)

Whoever, within the United States, makes or brings therein from any foreign country, or possesses with intent to sell, give away, or in any other manner uses the same, except under authority of the Secretary of the Treasury or other proper officer of the United States, any token, disk, or device in the likeness or similitude as to design, color, or the inscription thereon of any of the coins of the United States or of any foreign country issued as money, either under the authority of the United States or under the authority of any foreign government shall be fined under this title.

 

I realize that that paragraph defines the law, but it's not very useful in this discussion. Just for starters, it would seem to criminalize plastic play money, not to mention reproductions properly marked COPY.

It seems to me that if you interpret the statute to permit play money and HPA-compliant marked copies, there couldn't possibly be any problem with bullion coins that (a) leave off the denomination, (b) alter other design elements, (c) aren't even the same size, color or weight as the original coins, and (d) contain bullion far exceeding the face value of the original coins.

 

It's 1/10th gold bullion, not a coin, therefore it is not a legal counterfeit.

 

Read that again. Something can't be an exact copy if you have to throw in the disclaimer that it's exact except for where it's different

 

OK obviously not exact without denomination. so sorry.

 

Good point. But I wonder where they draw the line. What is it said "ONE DOLLOP"

 

I hope I didn't start a new catchphrase. I hope we all know there's no such thing as a legal counterfeit. It's just contradictory and funny. Thanks for using it though I appreciate it.

 

Thank you very much for this. I think this is the most definite conclusion.

 

That is exactly the problem with the law I quoted. It is so vague they could make it apply to pretty much anything. You tick them off and it is a club they can beat you with. Eventually you may prevail, but it would cost you a fortune in legal fees to defend yourself.

 

Did anyone notice it says .24 gold, not 24K gold.
This would make it a only 24% of 1/10 oz. of actual gold, or about 1/40th oz. of gold. Not 1/10th. Buyer Beware.
Not the first attempt to fool people like this, and probably not the last.
Better to buy bullion coins anyway. Safer, and easier to sell

 

In which case, it's NOT an exact copy.

To be clear, counterfeiting is a huge problem in numismatics. The gold bullion coin you cited isn't an example of that problem, however, because it's not intended to fool anyone.

 

Yes, I've seen that tactic before on eBay. I'm a lot more unhappy about that than about any resemblance to a circulating coin.

This piece makes no attempt to deceptively resemble a US coin. It most certainly does attempt to deceive about its PM content.