OK. Vcoins management has been contacted by me (and you should ALL also contact them). We just cant have this happen. It simply is intolerable.
Dont worry, the clowns who made these will add some artificial wear and some toning and they will pop up in multiple european auctions all year. Save these pictures because you will see them again. The fake akragas i returned showed up in an auction less than three months later...
The reply received by my buddy at CCF, from Diana at Vcoins Support: "Thank you for your email and bringing this to our attention! It is highly unlikely that one of our dealers would list fake material as they are all thoroughly vetted but none the less we look into it."
I hope not, but then I have seen artificially worn Slaveis show up at auction from time to time. Not sure which coin or thread you refer to. Please post it again. I too had a fake Akragas some time ago and posted it, but it got no traction (cant understand why, as it was insanely deceptive): https://www.cointalk.com/threads/fake-akragas-topic-again.285093/
Ken: I had one of those same fakes and there was a long thread about it. I will dig up the link when i get to my computer.
That makes me feel really safe. Nothing like total complacency. All the fakes I have ever bought came from vcoins...so far i have gotten my money back but thinking their dealers are not listing fakes is really naive. Remember the 7 or so identical Parthians last month?
We all get fakes, no matter the sales venue. Each week there are many auctions running, many of which have withdrawn lots. The biggest names and the smallest. It happens. What we do when notified of it is of supreme significance.
I totally agree with you Ken. It is more important every year for us all to be vigilant because the problem will only get worse as forgery technologies mature and are more widely available.
But does anyone report these fakes? Does anyone contact the dealers or websites? I have, but one guy complaining is just another fellow dealer who is crying about 'sour grapes'. If dozens of us contacted the we might actually get something done.
He also has one of the ugliest Athenian owls I've ever seen. Poor Athena looks homely, and the owl is ugly too. This has got to be a barbarous issue and not an Athenian one, or a fake? I don't know, it just looks a little weird to me, though I admit I'm not an expert in these. And the AOE looks oddly placed, and where are the leafs from the sacred tree on the upper left corner? Just doesn't look right to me at all. I don't like it. What say you?
Now that I see their 'Seleukids' I believe some of those are replicas as well. Another oddity I can't recall seeing before is lettering outside of the beaded edge. I will be watching this dealer closely. https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/nu...mint__ar__tetradrachm_fdc/856413/Default.aspx
This Julia Maesa does not look right to me: http://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/num...julia_maesa__denarius__xf/862840/Default.aspx
I thought that one had problems as well. I will be anxious to see how Vcoins deals with this. I think their answer to the above email is really troubling and I hope the attitude of the new management isn't "none of the coins on Vcoins are fake because our code of ethics says so."
Maybe there is a reason this "dealer" is afraid to list their real name and address... I don't think vcoins should allow anonymous dealers on their site. I mean come on, they could close up their store and then where do buyers go if problems are discovered later? First thing I do when looking at coins from a new dealer is click on their contact info and their about button. Most dealers are proud to tell you who they are what their background is and often include their photo. I make a note of those who do not and never click on any of their coins again. I love vcoins and use them a lot, but they could improve a few things.
i love Vcoins To last time the quality goes down, some dealers are good most are english of germans that are good ( my meaning)
4.49 grams is awfully heavy for a late Severan denarius. Here are a couple of mine for comparison (stars in different fields): RIC 271 and 272, 3.15 gm and 2.46 gm, respectively.