I'm in the same club. I never participate in private listing auctions for the exact same reason. With ebay hiding the bidder's identity there is no reason for this type of auction anymore.( other than hiding nefarious activities)
looks fake to me I don't buy any coin if I am even a bit Leary of its authenticity I do keep a lot of pictures of fake and real coins for me to compare if I was to try and buy one the best anybody can do is do your homework lots of books the internet has a lot of information even for the novice collector for comparison when you are not sure don't bid or buy there are a lot of coins out there that are the real deal and a lot of sellers and collectors who are very knowledgeable about what they are selling or collecting ask a lot of questions before committing
That is a very crude example indeed. There are many much more deceptive counterfeits out there, and in great quantity. If any of you would not instantly know this coin is a fake, I recommend you be very careful about where you buy your gold, and what you buy. Beyond that, if you plan to buy a lot of gold over time, I recommend you do 2 things: Get intimately familiar with the minting process, so that you know what surfaces and features on a coin are a natural occurrence on issues of the US Mint, and Purchase a few certified gold coins first, and study the designs very carefully so that you'll know fakes when you see them. - Mike
Well, it's too late now but how about for future reference, die markers are off and the damage attempts to hide such identifying features.
I agree that the seller is probably unaware. He posted 11 different pictures and has a 100% satisfaction rating with almost 700 reviews. Instead of just throwing someone like this under the bus with eBay, it might be better to contact him or her directly and suggest they might have a fake coin on their hands. We're so quick to jump on people's throats with both feet when we should just take a breath and remember not everyone is the expert you are. Plus the more we make people afraid to engage in numismatic commerce, the less likely we are to draw new collectors into the fold. We all know the "aging out" of collectors is a major problem. I sell on eBay and do my best to make sure everything is 100% legit. But with only a half a dozen grading classes under my belt I'm no expert. If I made listed a fake coin I'd appreciate someone reaching out to me as it would be an honest mistake.
I usually do let sellers know as well, and they very rarely remove the auction like this guy. I never said he listed a fake on purpose... I actually said I doubt he knew. Props to him for removing it.
Fair point and I appreciate the follow-up. This is a fantastic forum. Everyone is helpful and as a newer collector (about 5 years) I value the resource. Thanks and have a great Sunday!!
You can report this if it makes you feel better, but eBay won't do a thing about it! I've reported many dozens of fakes and they never take down the listing. Never.
I've done this a few times, with generally good results. Last time, I noticed someone had a really bad cast fake of a 1776 Continental dollar. I just messaged them, told them it was fake, gave them my reasons, and they took it down within a few hours. I've found that people who don't usually list numismatic items are most receptive to this approach, followed by people who list coins but just happen to have a fake mixed in. Obviously, someone who lists all or mostly fakes isn't usually going to respond to this kind of thing, so I generally just report those to eBay.
Like everything else in life, if you spend a few minutes thinking about the bigger picture first and then apply the Golden Rule, you're probably going to come out OK. Not everybody knows what they're selling is fake, and not everybody is out to fleece people of their money. Yes, they are more concentrated on Ebay, but that still means a large percentage of fakes (and sellers) are unwilling offerings and the seller will do the right thing if approached politely.
