Saw this, from China, in the description it says it's a casted brass model/antique imitation of a 1837 capped bust quarter. http://www.aliexpress.com/item/HOT-...OLL-ON-REVERSE-FREE-SHIPPING/32339355889.html
It's not illegal to make in China. It's not illegal to sell in China. It's illegal to import to the US and it's illegal to sell in the US.
I don't think anyone knowledgeable in numismatics would think this is a real Bust Quarter. 1st look at the detail on the bust, with this much detail, why no detail in the stars? And the reverse is totally wrong. The problem as I see it is someone thinking it was real.
Looks to be a legitimate ad with everything spelled out correctly in it's content. I see no problem with the seller. It's the buyer's intent I would be worried about.
Then it gets very grey... some courts have taken a strict line and has tl be an exact copy and other courts have been looser, holding to a 'like' standard.
Fakes are EVERYWHERE! http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=AS_20150929091755&SearchText=1909+s+penny
And what about those who are "unknowledgeable" that get taken when they buy it re a reseller at what they think is a fair or maybe a little below market price? Everyone likes to get a good deal and someone who may be a collector, or not really "up" on the earlier coins can easily be blinded by the lure of a "good deal". In my opinion, no change. Still legal in China and illegal to import into or sell in the US.
In my opinion it is a product manufactured with the intent of deception and fraud, and of course it is counterfeiting US coinage. Anyone can call this whatever they want - I call it despicable.
"Yes and I'm sure we are both tired of rehashing that discussion." Point understood, but this is a growing malignant problem and in my view the only solution is international cooperation amongst countries, including that with China, to put an end to this practice of blatant counterfeiting.
Ain't that kind of like disagreeing on which direction the sun's going to rise in? We're not going to change China's behavior. I don't get the concept of "well, we'll pressure them into it" - they're three times our size, are just as nuclear-tipped as we are, and control half or more of our manufactured goods because they make them. What, exactly, are we going to do to them? What we should do is make it very uncomfortable indeed for those who willingly offer them for resale domestically. No new law is required; what's on the books - with the revisions to HPA last year - is ample to create Hammertime for these people if the will were there. Dry up the resale market by prosecuting a few (there will always be a few dumb enough to give you a chain of evidence), because with a couple heads already on the pike the smarter players will find an easier field. See? You don't even have to eradicate it. Below a certain critical mass - a reachable goal - it dies on its' own. So stop wringing your hands about what to do with China, and write your congressman. The FTC can put a stop to this stuff right now if they wish, by making the atmosphere intolerably hot.
The Donald said he'd put stiff tariffs on all their goods. Us consumers would complain but, if the tariffs are high enough, it would likely move a lot of manufacturing back to the USA since we'd have closer price parity. So, let's not just throw-up our hands and give in.
A lot of good points. How about an eye for an eye approach? They want to counterfeit our coins, then we'll counterfeit their coins. The threat alone should make them stop this despicable counterfeiting practice of theirs. If the threat doesn't succeed, then do it. We have to begin somewhere, because the situation with these counterfeits is out of control and is a scourge to our great hobby.
The law in China is quite simple. It is illegal to manufacture copies of coins or currency of the People's Republic of China dated 1949 or later. Anything else is up for grabs. These fake world coins are sold so cheaply to the original buyers there isn't an obvious intent to defraud on the manufacturer's part. Do they facilitate fraud? Most likely. Their products are frequently used to cheat subsequent buyers. These manufacturers are outside U.S. law and cannot be prosecuted. There is no Chinese law to protect U.S. coin buyers nor is there likely to be. All we can do is be vigilant and avoid a deal that's too good on raw coins and hinky-looking slabs.
Yea, they "respect" their country's founding date in 1949, but not our country's founding date. That needs to change.
How about a tariff on each one of these counterfeits equal to the highest Red Book grade price listing for a genuine coin?