Find a counterfeit on ebay

Being fairly new to collecting, I've heard of there being fakes out there, but haven't actually seen any yet. I did have a couple coins come from from pcgs that I didn't know were cleaned, but I also had a replated 1943 steel penny (I didn't even know they did that. What's the point on a $15 coin?)

Anyway, I'd like to see some, either faked coins (mint marks added/removed) or coins in fake PCGS/NGC holders. Doesn't necessarily have to be current auctions.

 

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Hang around there's bound to be another posting very soon, or better yet search CoinTalk for threads. You can also search on eBay for "copy" or "replica" to get started looking at them.

 

Here's a counterfeit Trade Dollar:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1874-S-TRADE-SILVER-DOLLAR-IN-MINT-CONDITION_W0QQitemZ170350207212QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCoins_US_Individual?hash=item27a9a9e0ec&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A4|39%3A1|72%3A1205|293%3A1|294%3A200

Edited to add:

And this seller has a quantity of copies for sale. To his credit, he lists them as such. Many fakes do not say "COPY" or "REPLICA": http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/china.512_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_ipgZ

And here's a copy of a Bust Dollar, listed as such:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Replica-1799-Draped-Bust-90-Silver-Dollar-COPY_W0QQitemZ140324732068QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCoins_US_Individual?hash=item20ac017ca4&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A4|39%3A1|72%3A1205|293%3A1|294%3A200

 

here is one:
not marked
http://cgi.ebay.com/1799-DRAPED-BUS...c0.m14&_trkparms=65:10|66:2|39:1|293:1|294:50


questionable:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1802-1-DRAPED-B...c0.m14&_trkparms=65:10|66:2|39:1|293:5|294:50

 

Unless the image of the second coin is distorting its appearance, it looks highly suspect to me. At first glance, I thought it was counterfeit, but am trying to be open minded.

 

I found this article at NGC http://www.ngccoin.com/news/viewarticle.aspx?IDArticle=954

 

Here ya go:

http://www.ioffer.com/selling/coinstore2007

Those are not on Ebay but that's because we ran off the seller on Ebay.

Ribbit

 

Here are a few:

 

Here is an obvious counterfeit Trade Dollar from China. These are VERY common on eBay.

 

Another obvious fake Chinese Trade Dollar.

 

A couple of more shots of the same fake Trade Dollar.

 

wow - some great examples. I could've picked out the last couple, but those ebay auctions above are a little more convincing.

 

Here's a nice one from awhile back



And here's the holder



In this case though, the coin is fake, but the holder is real.

This one was sold in a Heritage Auction in December of 07



In this case the coin is real, the slab is fake.

 

Here is a tip, if pictures aren't clear, and there isn't a return policy, DO NOT BUT IT.
I have bought the majority of my coins on ebay, and never had one problem, because I buy from sellers with a return policy, and have clear pics.
The link to the NGC fake slabs is a real good one! And all the other links and pics are good to go by as well.
To answer your other question about the replating of the steel cent, number one, what makes you think they are $15 coins? (Just wondering what you use to value coins) and they do it to make them look uncirculated, to snatch in newbies who don't know better, thus making them sell higher.

 

I would say about 3% of all the coins on EBay are counterfeit. Stay away from anything from Asia. Now, I like a GOOD counterfeit as much as the next gal, but at least make me take 2 glances at it. Here are a few counterfeits.... Traci

 

Is the 14d a ground down 44d?

 

I don't know about "ground down" but, yes, it is an altered '44-D. Note the wide spacing between the second and third digits. If you could see the truncation of Lincoln's bust I bet you would find VDB, which was not present on Lincoln Cents in 1914.

 

Condor.

Those two you posted are pretty scary....:bigeyes:

 

I wonder how often jewelers counterfeit coins? Since they already know how to work with small amounts of metal, they would be good at adding or removing mint marks, or altering dates.

 

Especially since in the first case PCGS didn't recognize the coin as being an altered date cent, and in the second Heritage didn't recognize the slab as being a fake and they sold it as a real one. (After they were informed that the slab was fake by myself and others they contacted the buyer and offered to buy it back. I don't know if the buyer returned it or not. I hope not because that fake slab is worth more than the coin sold for. Those Rattler fakes are quite rare today and valuable.)