I just received my first subscription copy of Coin World - 14 September 2009. On page 92, there is an article on the Sarah Polk First Spouse gold coin. The article is the typical dribble about what a great person she was and why the mint should be making a coin about her. However, the second to the last paragraph was somewhat interesting... This is the first I've heard of counterfeit FS coins. Has anyone else heard of this? I have to assume that (if there are fakes out there) they're made out of something other than gold, otherwise...why go to the effort?
Doesn't do much for my opinion of Coin World. Lessee, spread fear. How to overcome fear? Education. How to get Education? Buy Coin World. They can/do say that about any coin or series. What is not funny is that TPG slabs are also being couterfeited. So.... Can I get a REAL FS coin in a FAKE slab?
Sounds like a marketing conspiracy to drive sales from the Mint and/or to get people to only buy/trust slabbed coins.
In the same issue of Coin World, there's a FRONT PAGE article about the new Michael Jackson coin from Sierra Leone...I sh#t you not! The pretext of the article is to report that the "Pobjoy Mint" didn't license the Jackson image from the estate (in violation of California State Law :goof ...but it then goes on to be a thinly veiled advertisement for the coin and the "Pobjoy Mint"...unbelievable. :rolling: I thought Coin World was supposed to be a respectible publication.
Maybe the writer is confused and is just thinking about the bronze First Spouse Medals???? Or maybe the writer just has a personal interest in promoting slabbed coins???? Has anyone here seen or heard of First Spouse fakes???? I guess it's possible.
I'm sure some people (like myself), are coming to the party a bit late and have to round out their collection on Ebay. ...but I agree, I'm a 100% mint guy now. I was just curious if anyone on CT has ever encountered a fake. I would be interested to see a picture and find out what it's made of. If the Best Case Scenario comes to pass and some of these issues eventually climb in price, I wouldn't be surprised to see some fakes reach our shores. I thought that would still be a ways off.
Hey! I found one! ...right on Ebay. This one is marked "copy", but I imagine there are some that aren't. I wonder if someone will try to return one to the Mint for a refund? http://cgi.ebay.com/1825-1829-LOUISA-ADAMS-10-GOLD-EXACT-SIZE-COPY_W0QQitemZ200292714934QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCoins_US_Individual?hash=item2ea26049b6&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116
Thanks for the pictures, yakpoo. Wow, that is pretty scary stuff. Just another reason to not buy raw coins anywhere unless you are confident you know what you are doing and/or you trust the seller. I'm sure many would be fooled in an eBay auction on that coin w/o the word copy there.
Verrrry Scarrrry! :rolling: Copies of their ( THE MARYLAND MINT...thanks Krispy!) legacy coins are obvious at first glance...but the FS fakes are a bit more convincing. I may order one just to see it up close...see how good it actually is. What I don't like is that they are advertising these in the "Gold" section of eBay and not in the "Reproductions" area, they don't list what the coin is made of, and the Description sez... 1825/1829 LOUISA ADAMS $10 GOLD COIN ...but sells for $12.99. Granted, the coin is clearly marked "Copy" and someone would have to be pretty dumb to think they were getting a 1/2 Oz gold coin for $12.99. I just don't like eBay mixing reproductions in with real coins...(period). By the way...today might be a good day to get your gold orders into the US Mint. I got a feeling prices are on their way up again...soon!
