1893 Isabella Quarter Dollar (counterfeit?)

Howdy fellow coin peeps, :thumb:

I ran across a Isabella Quarter that doesn't look right but it could be authentic, so I am posting it here for the experts to weigh in on it.

Things I don't like about it:

1. Surface bubbles
2. Too pitted for the condition it's in
3. Weird inner tail on the 9 of the 1893 date

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180253979837&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=008

Ribbit

Ps: I ran across an article that discusses the history surrounding the Isabella Quarter and found it very educational and would highly recommend reading it:

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art30758.asp

 

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I wouldn't buy any expensive American coins from outside of North America...too risky.

 

as long as the dealer is good there should be no problems. i have even bought from Chinese sellers and yes they can be honest and you can get great deals because the world thinks they are crooks know the seller and the coin dont get biased by race or nationality

 

I think you nailed it, Toad. Looks fake to me. I wouldn't bid on this coin (unless it was priced as a counterfeit - then I would consider it for my counterfeit collection).

 

There was another 1929 Peace Dollar that sold today but you never told me if you were interested in anything like that so I didn't PM you with it. I will usually only PM you with quality counterfeits that aren't going high.

Ribbit

Ps: There is one counterfeit I have my eye on and I will post it once I've won the bid.

 

Not to hijack the thread but - - - I can't buy every counterfeit. I am primarily interested in US counterfeits although I do have a handful of counterfeit world coins. I have plenty Chinese counterfeit Seated and Trade Dollars and I would be interested in these only if they were very deceptive or an interesting fantasy piece (e.g., my 1848-S Seated Lib Dollar).

 

The one I have my eye on :kewl: is a counterfeit Higley Copper, or should I say, I'm pretty sure it's a counterfeit. If it isn't a counterfeit, I won't be upset.

Ribbit

 

hi guys

first off, this is my first post to coin talk, as I have just joined the community 10 min ago

I will start off by saying I have a unique/crazy opinion regarding this isabella quarter. Since the seller is guaranteeing the weight, I think its safe to bid on. Now of course, it could still be fake. Heres how I feel:

a) the seller is telling you everything he can to ensure authenticity. Weight esp.
b) the seller has a great positive feedback rating - 517 and 99.6 positive
c) the cardinal reason - Theres no bid, and its set at 185, what does this mean? If you buy it for $200 or less (its actually in the add, $200 in pay pal protection), pay pal will go after him to get your money back. You are basically paying 1/3 to 1/4 the retail price, and with a pay pal money back guarantee. You either get your money back, or get a $600 coin (one that I always wanted) for $180 to $200.

I myself purchased 3 counterfeit silver dollars from a guy in China. One carson city morgan, one seated lib and one trade dollar. Since I paid 185 for all, the seller was forced to refund all my money including shipping and I got to keep all 3 fakes. I may pay the 185 myself and then just get my money back on this coin. Of course he may request you send the coin back. Even then, unless you KNOW its a fake by the pics, not think but KNOW, its worth a shot in my mind

think outside the box

 

Be my guest. Bid away. It sounds like you can't lose.

BTW, welcome to CoinTalk.

 

I humbly take back my post

Even though everything I said is true, I am not bidding on the coin and I recommend that no one does. Heres why: the seller has 2 of them and both have the weird 9, with a curve under the oval in the 9. This makes it fake for sure. Also, ebay has a NGC certified ms64 Isabella with a normal 9. Its not possible for him to have 2 isabella quarters with the same error on the 9. COUNTERFEIT 100% - don't bid

 

The main reason I post the quality counterfeits is to warn others they are out there and with this one, if they fix a few errors and properly produce them (90% silver, pressed hubs, etc...) then it will be extremely hard to spot the fakes and that day isn't too far off and may already be upon us.

Counterfeits are going to be the downfall for Ebay, if Ebay doesn't get tough about counterfeits. You said earlier that you got a refund from one seller, over a counterfeit, and got to keep it? That was a good outcome but beware, they don't always end that way. I've been fighting with PayPal for almost a month now, over a counterfeit, and I still don't have resolution and during the dispute the seller never claimed that the coin is/was authentic, but they also never said it was a counterfeit on the listing and with Ebay's policy, if you don't say it's a counterfeit up front or disclaim it's authenticity (aka: I don't know if it's real or not), the seller is claiming it to be authentic and with my dispute, it should have been resolved in my favor within 72 hours but several weeks later, it's still unresolved. So just because you had one good outcome over a counterfeit, don't expect it to be the norm, it isn't! I had the same attitude you had in your first post, if it's a counterfeit, I'll just return it and get my money back . . . whoa . . . I found out that isn't always the case and I hope you never have to find out first-hand like I did.

Ribbit

Ps: Welcome to the forum. :hail:

 

Hey PGH,

The seller only has one. When you look at his/her store, the top items are featured items and the lower items are everything in the store, hence, the featured items show up a second time in the regular store items.

Ribbit

 

Here's another one for us to discuss. It doesn't have the problems the other one had but I don't like the color of the metal (too white). This one may be authentic but because of the look, I wouldn't be willing to take the chance.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130236685436&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=003

Ribbit

 

Hmmm..........

94000 IL, Israel

I didn't know that the Chinese moved to Israel!

 

At first glance it loks pretty good, just circulated and ugly. But then, is it just me or are all the denticals on the obv at an angle?

 

I thought that was how it was made originally?

Ribbit

 

Other than a couple of varieties of 1838 seated quarter where the dies didn't hub well and the denticals were recut by hand (resulting in a double set of denticals, one straight on crooked.) I'm not aware of any US coin made after the introduction the the denicals and raised rim (1834) where the denticals were not straight. On some of the gold dollars they can be a little thin and might look a little crooked but not like that Isabella.

I looked at the pictures on coinfacts and I do believe they are straight, but I have to admit they do give the impression of being at an angle.

 

Neither one of the ebay Isabellas are real. The first has pits and bubbles for Gods sake. The last one is a joke. I wouldn't touch either of them. Too many red flags.

 

This one has the same look to me.
I wonder if it has something to do with how the image was taken.

 

that is a cast coin if i've ever seen it