Ebay Counterfeit 1893 Columbus Half-Dollar

I found a 1893 Columbus Half-Dollar for sale on Ebay and the listing says it's a copy (counterfeit) but it looks like many I've seen for sale on Ebay, so I figured it would make for an interesting discussion and if it is a counterfeit, it will act as a warning to those of us interested in buying the authentic coin.

I waited to post this until after the auction closed so I could not be accused of either interfering or promoting the sale of this coin.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280222314953&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=018

Ribbit

 

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Why counterfeit something so cheap?

 

Looks fine to me.

 

My thoughts exactly.

Glad to see your back Toad - it got kinda quiet around here.

 

Ditto.

 

It may just be my eyes but, the font looks a little different and the "wear" on columbus' face looks kinda missplaced(diff places) than normal

 

Don't see anything obviously fake about it. Besides in that condition what would be the point in faking it? Wouldn't really be worth it...

 

Mein Deutsch ist nich so gut. Heir ist der "babelfish"

1/2 Columbian dollar the USA 1893 Easy rotatingpure are present Reproduction/copy/CoPy I would like to refer to daruf that the coin is not in this auction an original, and as piece of voucher and/or alternative for the expensive originals one offers. Consider please! With this auction it concerns a private sales. I assure that the offered article in execution and condition corresponds to the description after best knowledge and certain. If not expressly mentions, me no errors and/or lack are well-known. As a private person I cannot take over a further warranty and issue also no calculation. The supply takes place therefore under exclusion of the liability for material defects (guarantee exclusion). Conversion or return without my agreement is impossible.

Perhaps the seller is playing CYA by calling it a "reproduction" rather than authenticating it.

/I haven't spoke German in nearly 10 years. Can anyone provide a translation that is more coherant than babelfish?

 

If he hadn't said it was a copy, I would have bid on it and I almost did just to get it for an examination to see if it really was a counterfeit but I'd rather spend my money on something else so I left it alone but watched it so I could post it here for discussion after the auction closed.

I personally cannot find anything "wrong" with it and I'm hoping one of our guru's can fill us in on what I'm missing or maybe it's like someone said, the seller couldn't authenticate it so he sold it as a reproduction just to cover his butt.

Ribbit

 

I am very hesitant to call it a counterfeit. Nothing jumps out at me telling me it is fake. The obverse rim has something going on from 6:00 to 10:00 and on the reverse the two hemispheres and the sails have no detail but those don't necessarily point to a counterfeit. The lack of detail could be due to wear or a weak strike. On the reverse above the 'C' of COLUMBIAN there is a small mark that I cannot make out; it could be toning, it could be a hit or it could be a raised bump (which could be an indication of a counterfeit). Without better images it is really hard to say.

I really see nothing that would make me think this coin is counterfeit. If it is a fake it is a good one. I don't see the point of counterfeiting a common, low-priced coin. It is much more common to see a counterfeit Hawaii Half or Old Spanish Trail half that are worth many, many multiples of a common Columbian Half. If it is a counterfeit maybe the counterfeiter used this coin for practice before tackling a much more valuable coin that would attract more scrutiny.

 

counterfeit Columbian half

From the picture it looks fine , I'd have to see it in person ,weigh it,look at rim,compare to origanal.also why copy a 15$ coin. rzage

 

Looks real to me.
It's really cool you can read that HandsomeToad.
Wish I had learned Spanish.

 

Read? I'm still learning how to type with more than one finger! :mouth:

I can vaguely understand some of it but use an internet translator to better understand what is being said. Spanish is a little easier for me to understand, since I was living in Puerto Rico and Central America for 13 years working as a PADI Scuba Instructor.

Ribbit

 

Columbian Half-Dollars were legal tender coins so I would venture a guess that if they did counterfeit them, it was for currency purposes (to spend) and not for numismatic purposes. But that's a guess!

Ribbit

 

I have a few contemporary counterfeit Bust Halves, Seated Lib halves, Barber Halves and Walking Lib halves but I am not aware of any contemporary counterfeit Columbian Half Dollars. That's not to say there were none.

 

Being a common coin does not preclude it from being counterfeited. I have a counterfeit 1964D Jefferson Nickel, and its very obvious.

I see nothing that would jump out as this being a counterfeit coin. Maybe this guy has something going on the side?

 

touche

 

I'm just guessing, but I would think a good counterfiet might be worth more than the real thing.

 

Update . . . .

I asked someone at PCGS if they knew of any quality counterfeit Columbian Half-Dollars and he said he hadn't heard of that coin being counterfeited and if there were any quality counterfeits out there, I think they would know about them. So who knows if it was a counterfeit but now I wish I had bought it so I could figure out if it was or not.

Ribbit