I’m not very intelligent, you already know that. That’s why I need your help. I just don’t understand. How could a coin, a « nice » Domitian forgery, be on the market and sold once in January, then again for sale by the same dealer in March (and sold again), and in April the same specimen reappears again ( same coin, same weight and size, same picture and description)… Please someone enlighten me !
Stock photos? I don't know much about forgeries or Lanz (besides that are forgeries) but if they are willing to sell fakes, I wouldn't be surprised if they just use a same stock photo for the coin you are supposed to receive. Just my 2 denarii.
I would guess the buyers of the coin failed to read the description, and, after realising it was a modern fake, filed a return, with Lanz then relisting the coin (with the fact that it's fake highlighted in red).
I sent an email to Lanz a few weeks ago that I think it’s a very bad idea that they started selling forgeries. They don’t sell them as genuine but some buyers (very) probably will do so. Some of those coins can easily deceive newbies. Of course no answer so far ….. I think it’s a shame for once a reputable dealer to sink so low to make a few bucks
It's possible, that the coin was sold, then returned, then sold again, then returned again, as related to what @Harry G was discussing. Or, as @furryfrog02 mentioned, perhaps Lanz is using the same photo, to sell multiple copies of the fake coin. Perhaps the coin copies are so similar in appearance, that Lanz thinks, that he can re-use the same photo, to sell mutiple coin copies. I'll never buy a coin from Lanz, that's for sure. I agree with @Marsman that it is bad, to sell fakes of ancient coins, even if the listing indicates that the coins are fake. Because, people can buy the fakes, and then sell the fakes, without telling customers that the coins are fakes. There are enough fakes floating around, for anyone who wants to study fakes, in my opinion. It's not helpful, to sell even more fakes, in my opinion. Frank Robinson does this also. He sells fakes in his auctions, and indicates that the coins are fakes. Each such listing says "COPY". Here's page 2 from his most recent auction, with 3 COPY coins for auction. http://www.fsrcoin.com/g.html I don't like that. I'll never buy a coin from Frank Robinson.
But they (whoever that is) are still using the original Lanz-Ebay account. I'm still blocked from buying from Lanz since I pointed out forgeries to Dr. Hubert Lanz himself some 5 years ago.
https://coinsweekly.com/hubert-lanz-receives-world-money-fair-award/ My, how time does march on! 2013 awards became 2022 whatever he is now. I stopped buying from Lanz in 2016 after two bad experiences that year. Perhaps we should remember that selling our good name is not always a good idea.