Fakes Worth More than Originals

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by JeffC, Jun 22, 2021.

  1. JeffC

    JeffC Go explore something and think a happy thought!

    I'm just curious. Aside from the HENNING NICKEL, are there other counterfeits out there that, as counterfeits, are worth more than the original? Keep in mind that I'm not referring to counterfeits passing as originals, but rather counterfeits that are worth more because they are known counterfeits.
     
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  3. Medussa

    Medussa Silver

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  4. baseball21

    baseball21 Well-Known Member

    Omegas
     
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  5. JeffC

    JeffC Go explore something and think a happy thought!

    Thanks very much for the link. However, I was mainly curious about known fakes that command more money than the original, not fakes that passes as an original. In other words, for the Henning Nickels, people deliberately pay more because they know that it's a counterfeit, not because they mistook it for an original.

    I was just curious to know if there are other such cases.
     
  6. ycon

    ycon Renaissance Man

    Paduan medals by Giovanni Cavino, which are Renaissance forgeries of ancient coins, often command prices equal to or greater than the roman coins they're imitating. Of course, adding another level of complication is that only struck paduans (that is to say, original counterfeits) command high premiums. Cast paduans, which are in a way counterfeit counterfeits, are relatively common and not nearly as valuable. Here is a write up I posted a few years ago about them https://www.cointalk.com/threads/struck-paduan.326607/
     
  7. okbustchaser

    okbustchaser I may be old but I still appreciate a pretty bust Supporter

    Actually worth at least twice what a real VF 1833 half would bring...even with the hole.
     

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  8. JeffC

    JeffC Go explore something and think a happy thought!

    Thanks for the link. I know absolutely nothing about ancients, so it should be an interesting read.
     
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  9. JeffC

    JeffC Go explore something and think a happy thought!

    Wow. Why so?
     
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  10. okbustchaser

    okbustchaser I may be old but I still appreciate a pretty bust Supporter

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  11. JeffC

    JeffC Go explore something and think a happy thought!

    Thanks. I didn't even know there was such a thing.
     
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  12. norantyki

    norantyki CoinMuncher

    There are many German States minor silver contemporary counterfeits (primarily Prussian) that were identified by the various major banks at the time, and countermarked with a number of 'official' punches reading "FALSCH." Especially when found on convincing fakes, these pieces can achieve dozens of times the value of the underlying type (they tend to be common types).

    British circulating counterfeits can be worth as much if not more than originals (although many are worth less). For instance, die struck, low silver content 1873 Florins are traceable back to a specific ring, and command substantial premiums. There are even some 1860s Half-Crowns of correct weight and content which are likely the product of a dip in silver prices whose status experts are still arguing over which achieve high prices indeed, regardless of their nature. Finally, there are both evasion and counterfeit coppers from the reigns of the Georges that can achieve many times the value of a 'regal' copper (particularly the Machin Mills counterfeits) - these are collected by type.

    There are Polish counterfeits of circulating coin and banknotes produced by the AK (Home Army) to destabilize the economy of the GG (German occupation government) during the Second World War, and these can be worth 100x or more the value of regular issues of the same type, and are actively collected by type.

    There are many more examples, but these are the first that come to mind for me.
     
  13. Conder101

    Conder101 Numismatist

    Many contemporary circulating counterfeits will bring more that the real coins.
     
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  14. JeffC

    JeffC Go explore something and think a happy thought!

    Thank you. I'll need to Google to see what they look like. Thanks.
     
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  15. medoraman

    medoraman Supporter! Supporter

    The authentic coin has its own supply demand, and counterfeits have their own. If its a famous counterfeit, and the original is not that rare, its very easy for the counterfeit to be worth more. I would trade a lot of authentic 1944 nickels for a Henning. Its a cool if weird story, losing money to make fake nickels.
     
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  16. OldSilverDollar

    OldSilverDollar Unknown Member

    That guys history is worthy of a big screen movie.
     
  17. baseball21

    baseball21 Well-Known Member

    Did they ever figure out who it actually was
     
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  18. OldSilverDollar

    OldSilverDollar Unknown Member

    Still a mystery and even today who ever it was might still be cranking them out. who knows how many die sets got dug up and what coins today might be getting a passing grade at a TPG.:nailbiting:
     
  19. norantyki

    norantyki CoinMuncher

    I thought they were pretty sure that it was a (now deceased) dentist from Frankfurt...
     
  20. baseball21

    baseball21 Well-Known Member

    If it was even just one person, seems there had to be a lot more to it.
     
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