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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;SteveCaruso, post: 1417348, member: 37497&quot;]Geez, I come across a place where my interests intersect it seems: Discussion of counterfeit coinage vs. fantasy coinage with a response from Daniel Carr, himself. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Indeed the designation of &quot;counterfeit&quot; in the most general sense is a very thin line, almost wholly dependent upon intent and context. A <i>counterfeit</i> is meant to <i>deceive</i> where a <i>fantasy piece</i> is meant to <i>inspire</i>. Unfortunately, a fantasy piece in the wrong hands can quickly become a counterfeit, where more fortunately a discovered counterfeit in the right hands can become a fantasy piece once more.</p><p><br /></p><p>These Chinese fakes, although they are marketed officially as &quot;replicas&quot; are -- without a doubt -- counterfeits. They&#039;re made of cheap materials and are even often artificially aged and are even put in modern PCGS slabs (with copied ID numbers; blatant fraud) to be found on auctions and wholesale sites to be re-sold as the genuine article. Their manufacturers bank upon the fact that once they leave their shop, their provenance is forgotten, and that is how they get repeat customers (i.e. dubious re-sellers).</p><p><br /></p><p>Daniel&#039;s fantasy coin products on the other hand are made *for* numismatists and represent things that your average numismatist will have interest in (for example, his 2009 proof-like ASE; I admit that&#039;s my favorite <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> ). They are not products that are really intended (and Daniel, please correct me if I&#039;m wrong) to circulate in non-informed circles, for to do so would be at the very least a breach of their terms of sale. An uninformed numismatist cannot fully appreciate, say, a fantasy 1964 Peace Dollar, because the history behind the striking and mass-melting of all genuine coins for that year is what generates its novelty, and -- when the fantasy piece is held in hand -- a sort of boyish wonder. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Where the legality seems a little bit &quot;fuzzy&quot; (and in my opinion it was written to be a bit fuzzy in the first place) it does favor Daniel&#039;s work.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now, I do have a number of Daniel&#039;s pieces that are going to be featured in The Black Cabinet when I get around to it. I feel that it is extremely important to have an information page out there for people to read up on their provenance in the unfortunate event that someone tries to be dishonest (as dishonesty can happen anywhere once a piece is sold). However, under the ID system I&#039;ve developed, these fantasy pieces firmly fall under the heading of Altered Coins, and not Counterfeits; the difference in designation is quantitative as a matter of manufacture.</p><p><br /></p><p>Actually now that I am entertaining the notion: Daniel, would you be willing to team up some time in the future to put together a list of defining characteristics of your fantasy pieces to tell them apart from other pieces for The Black Cabinet? I&#039;m also eventually going to start a price guide counterfeits and fantasy pieces as well, so this may very well become an important tool.</p><p><br /></p><p>Peace,</p><p>-Steve[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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