Hi, I'm just wondering if this is fake. 1909 S Lincoln Cent

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1909-S-Linc...94?pt=Coins_US_Individual&hash=item35be6e48ae
I haven't been into coins in a while, so I have lost my touch, and I'm scared to death (after being swindled once - which is why I gave it up for a while), that I will be swindled again. Please help. It's a 1909 S Lincoln. It has that woody appearance, but after the shock of being duped, I'm not sure anymore. Can anyone help? I want to purchase one. I just lack that one, the 14 D, and the VDB S. Much appreciated. s

 

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The seller has 3 negatives in the the last two weeks. sellers customer service may leave more to be desired.

 

Yeah. I noticed that. E-bay scares me. I got duped on an 8 reale. I even looked it up on NGC. The picture, everything was right. I took a risk and got it from Australia. Ever since then, I have stayed away from coins. No dealers that have it close by that I know. But, I'll keep looking. Thanks man.

 

theres a couple guys here that will chime in eventully. they are experts with cents, as far as im concerned.

 

But the negatives for this guy have to do with proofs. It becomes fuzzy when someone suggests deep mirror. He said he didn't say it was a deep mirror. I'm wondering if anyone can spot something fishy about this coin.

 

Real or not the bid is over what it is worth with the corrosion on the reverse IMO.

 

Lots of comments here;

3 negatives in the last two weeks is actually 4 weeks, 2 by a buyer who forgot to return items and one who did not read and could not be bothered to return item. None for customer service problems.

The coin looks 100% authentic to me.

The coin is corroded. I would recommend you stay away from it.

If you are "scared to death" buying coins, stay away from eBay. Stay away from raw coins. Only use places like Heritage and teletrade where you will get valid certified coins. You will live longer that way.

Absolutely do not get the 14-D or S-VDB uncertified. There are way too many fakes out there.

 

IIRC, the seller is one of the hotel buyers, so its a personal decision as to if you want to deal with such a person/business. As for the coin, everything looks legit but it does have obvious issues. This coin is by no means rare and again, it has issues, so add this to your concerns and I see no reason to buy, even if you can stomach the seller. Personally, I would pass even at its present price. Buy a nice certified example, or better yet, find a reputable dealer to work with. These are not tough coins, so there is no reason to settle. Good luck.

 

It looks genuine to me. VF, somewhere in there.

 

Good catch!

They're showing the same pattern as our old friends at THR -- "visit our other auctions under greatestateroadshow11, greatestateroadshow12, greatestateroadshow13". A bit of Googling indicates that they aren't actually the same organization, but they appear to be recruiting ex-THR employees.

I bought quite a bit from THR without realizing who and what they were, and I've got some guilt over it. It's tempting to start following this new group for similar bargains, but I'm going to do my best to resist.

 

Exactly what I would have said. Ebay is the wild west, and you better have plenty of knowledge. If you are unsure, you are better to not risk it.

This is why good dealers are in business. Go find a good, respected dealer who will stand behind their coins. You THINK its costing you more, but many times its the cheapest way to buy.

 

punt.

 

I don't like the left side of the mint mark, nor the more narrow upper loop of it. Maybe the wear or angle, but the loop looks squeezed more than usual, and the bottom serif looks a little different. Can't magnify as much as one would like. I would pass on that and also rlm's comments. Not saying it is bad, just each person has to decide themselves.

Jim

 

The way Ebay is set up these days there really is no risk as a buyer. If you get ripped off and the seler won't cooperate Ebay is always on the buyers side. If nothing else you could claim the coin never arrived and Paypal will refund your money. If the buyer doesn't like that tough. They could have cooperated, or not tried to pull a fast one on you. There are lots of ways to force sellers to act legit, or they lose on both ends.
Guy

 

Sorry but this has what to do with the coin in question...BTW if shipped with delivery or signature confirmation the fraud will not work. And the seller might be legit and the coin not but he doesn't know. There are two different opinions on the coin in just this tread.

BTW even before there was a internet saying you had not received an item through the mail when in fact you had received it in order to not pay for it was and still is considered mail fraud and is still a Federal crime amount of money involved sets the class of the felony I think.

 

It had everything to do with his saying he got ripped off on Ebay in the past. I'm not condoning fraud, I'm condoning puting fraudulent sellers in their place by means available through Ebay.

 

As much as I hate to add to the "con" list, does this one look funny to anyone else? The picture of the reverse just so happens to have a blurred square right where the initials should be...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1909-S-VDB-LINCOLN-WHEAT-CENT-SCARCE-DATE-SAN-FRAN-NSS-/320726568199?pt=Coins_US_Individual&hash=item4aaccb0d07#ht_3848wt_934

 

I have no idea what this means

 

You know what we mean by "hotel buyers"? You know the reputation those buyers have around here? They lie to people who bring in gold and silver, and buy at a tiny fraction of actual value. Yeah, you can get "deals" in turn when you buy from them -- but it feels dirty, at least to some of us.

 

Agree 100%! Do NOT buy any raw coins period if you're not good at understanding what you're buying.