I just don't get it, why would anyone even consider spending so much for a copy? http://cgi.ebay.com/1856-FLYING-EAGLE-CENT-1c-PENNY-BROWN-TONED-COPY-COIN_W0QQitemZ390019816850QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCoins_US_Individual?hash=item390019816850&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
Well ya, but is there really a market for this junk or is it just someone preying on peoples niavity?
I don't see the word "COPY" on it. Could be the buyer is going to try to flip it as original, then play dumb when the new buyer blows the whistle.
It is very strange to me that people buy these. Maybe they assemble a bunch of fakes and show them to their neighbors and don't mention the word fake to make people think they have this big expensive coin collection. Why else would a person spend that kind of money on something that is basically wothless? Very strange.
Ah, I see it now. I had to copy the image and play with the brightness and contrast to see it. Okay, we can discard my theory about its future use. Actually I have one copy in my stamp collection. It's an inverted air mail. "COPY" in big letters on the reverse. I figured it was as close to owning that item as I would ever get. But it cost only about one-third of what the buyer paid for the "1856". Maybe the buyer was thinking the way I was.
So far, nobody has. But what people frequently forget is that everything is collectible and just because we don't collect something doesn't mean that others shouldn't. I'm sure people laugh at many of the prices paid for numismatic coins too.
Actually some one has, but we don't know what the price was. He has accepted one offer so far, but it does not say how much the offer was for - at least not yet.
If you're collecting a full set of FEs, or small cents in general, and don't have the $20,000+ to drop on a genuine UNC example, what's the harm in going for a replica to fill the hole? Or are you saying that a copy is okay but not for the asking price of $22?
No harm - but $22 for a copy is ridiculous. Plus if you set your sites a little lower that 1856 can be had for between 8-10k.
There was a time when I wanted to collect SLQ's, but I knew I would never be able to afford a 1916. So I don't collect them, there are many other beautiful coins to collect. To me and you don't have to agree, I understand your point, it would degrade the rest of the collection to have a fake in the collection. Yes, I personally would rather just have hole. Doesn't mean I'm right, just the way I feel about it. I don't like to drop many grades in a collection, but if I had to drop several grades to get a coin I could afford I would also do this rather than knowingly put a fake in the collection.