I've been trying to improve my grading and counterfeit detecting ability and came across this auction on eBay. https://www.ebay.com/sch/thedockter...1bvXmm:rk:2:pf:0&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562 I'm not saying these are counterfeits, nor am I impugning the seller. But several coins looked fishy to me - maybe they're not. Lastly, the premise of the sale is very odd. A safe is discovered in a dumpy pottery shop in rural West Virginia that contains dozens of amazing coins. Everything from 18th century copper to gold to slabbed 2006 ASE's. The 200-year-old shop is constructed of cinder blocks (in 1818?) and the photo of the safe shows only a bag of well-circulated Washington quarters. Thoughts?
Surfaces have been altered. I've seen other coins offered by the same seller, and thought the same of those as well.
is the sellers draped heraldic dime look authentic ? I was looking at that before this thread. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1805-Drape...=item442b45e7b9:g:EjAAAOSwIDJbzoJL:rk:32:pf:0
Thanks for the feedback. That was my impression. A silly story attached to a bunch of coins, many with questionable surfaces, made me wonder what else may be afoot. I guess you evaluate each coin on its own merits and be careful, as usual, on eBay.
A lot of these coins look cleaned and then AT'd. Perhaps some are fake but I am not wasting time going through them. I love the "200 year old" cinderblock pottery store! Just someone peddling problem stuff they picked up cheap with a hopeful backstory.
Big Al from Bluefield West Virginia is completely full of BS. He just auctioned off 205 - 5 once bags of junk silver and this is his story... “During the demolition of a 200+ year old pottery store an enormous safe was found. The shop owner was an avid coin collector and hoarded away some of the best pieces that came into the shop, just as his father had done. Many of the coins are dirty, but I read online not to touch the coins in any way.” Really? You just sold over a ton of coins for at least $13K in one night, but you had to go online to read about coin collecting for the first time as if you have no experience in the business whatsoever? That’s believable!
I won an auction for a 1861 $20 double eagle from this individual. Have not paid yet. Would like to have a 3rd party coin expert work as a moderator whom Ill pay and when the coin is receive, verify authenticity and then release payment to the seller. Does anyone know of such an individual in Washington State.
Wow, the guy's still at it... https://www.ebay.com/sch/thedockter...380AAOSwVkpdMQgY&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562
March 2020 and he is still auctioning coins from this "find". The story line is fishy. Sounds like he found these, and knows the store owners (father and son). If that were true they would have these coins, not him.
Appears that he has sold over 6,000 items using this song and dance. Why stop now when the deception is effective?
Yeah, Big Al "The Coin Dockter" is quite the character. He's right there with Mr. Haney from Hooterville as far as con men are concerned. He'll mingle in a decent coin now and then, but basically his stuff is doctored up junk. I hate saying bad things about people, but just look at his ad.....if that doesn't give you a clue, then......
I've seem his dodge for about two years now and it's the same now as it was then. Now, the coins are massively over-exposed so you can't tell anything about them. I would not even consider doing any business with this enterprise.