I'm scared. Counterfeits, counterfeits, counterfeits! I'm an old student of history, read Thucydides, Plutarch, Plato, Aristophanes, Homer, etc. I'd like an Athens coin from the time of the Peloponnesian War. How do you go about doing this without getting hammered by a fake?
Coins from that period...like the Athenian owl coins...are some of the most commonly faked coins (not to mention the price tag) and there are some very convincing fakes out there...real easy to get hammered by a crook. Some would tell you to buy from a seller you trust or a seller with a good reputation...but those sellers, even if they dont sell you a fake coin on purpose will often get fooled themselves...So often I see so called experts bickering and not able to come to a consensus on a coins authenticity. As much as seller likes to claim 'that coin isnt a dangerous fake'....well...they all are dangerous to someone...A person like you who is rather unfamiliar with these coins setting off to plunk money down on one, does not know how to discern what might be considered an obvious fake to an experienced collector, can easily be duped. So probably the best advice is not to buy one until you study up. Otherwise, buy from a seller who has a good reputation, is bound by a code of conduct and has a lifetime guarantee...then when you get the coin, send it to be verified by someone like David Sears...if it comes back fake in his opinion...use the Guarantee...a lifetime guarantee means nothing if you dont verify the coins authenticity. I think a lot of people find a seller and that seller has been around for awhile, a pretty good reputation, so they start to trust that seller. Once the seller has your trust and you are no longer questioning what he sells and assume that he has done all the due diligence... (he wouldnt sell you a fake!!! Hes a good man!!) Thats when he can sell you fakes with little fear because you are not even trying to verify his assertion that its real. The guy could be honestly selling you fakes and not know it, he could be a shifty coin salesman that seems like a real nice guy...a million scenarios. Before you buy any coin, learn about them...go look at some verified real ones, then go to the fake list and look at the fakes. You might want to join the CFDL (Coin Forgery Discussion List). http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CoinForgeryDiscussionList/ To see a pretty good listing of modern fakes of ancient coins you can go here: http://www.forgerynetwork.com/ A good place to look at coins that are authentic (or should be) would be doing a search at Coin Archives here: http://www.coinarchives.com/ A good place to find good sellers (and honest...as honest as they come in this field) would be http://www.vcoins.com One thing I have to stress!! Be very wary of advice from so called experts who are also sellers...or places that offer advice that are connected to selling or online shops...I doubt I need to tell you the problem with a seller also being your source for 'expert' advice
I think posting pics of the coin you want to get on forums and getting opinions of alot will help alot too.
