Just wanted to mention I rec'd YET ANOTHER fake trade $ off Ebay yesterday and packed it back up and went right back to the PO to send it back. This one really weighed the least of all the fakes I've gotten - 22g and had the usual characteristics- pitting in the field/"dots" for denticles/micro-grainy surfaces from the lead (or whatever junk metal they use in China). Seller did the usual also: blurred photos/total disclaimer of knowledge of coins/grading/authenticity/etc and said he had rec'd "inquiries" abt the coin- but of course did not post these for all to see. Beware -way too many of these are still on Ebay and no matter how much I call and complain they still do nothing about it. Most sellers in that section are honest as there are many listings that start with the word "replica". On the same subject- why on earth are bidders bidding on the fakes that are labelled "fake"???
to re-sell them as real was my first thought. But my second thought, is it is a very cheap way to get an example (sometimes) where the real deal is too expensive.
Why do you even bother to bid on uncertified Trade Dollars on EBay? Do you really feel that you have more upside than downside in doing so?
Some people collect them. I do. I especially like the fantasy pieces like my 1872-CC Trade Dollar (first year for the Trade Dollar was 1873) and my 1848-S Seated Liberty Dollar (there was no mint in San Francisco until 1854 and the did not mint Seated Liberty Dollars until 1859).
I know Trade Dollars are rampantly counterfeited, what I do not understand is why? For my part, I hate the things....
Personally, there is no way on God's green earth I would buy an uncertified coin of any value off of E-bay.
Not saying I disagree with you all, but that is how some people get great deals on coins on ebay. So being careful is important - I skipped a couple of auctions just this week where I was not sure about the dealer.
trnbz5oqz would you state the sellers ebay name, I bought a trade dollar on ebay last year and would be happy to find out it wasn't from your seller. Bruce
Er... because of high demand and relatively low supply of real trade dollars makes a real trade dollar value, thus the incentive to make a fake one to pass off as a real one. A lot of it also has to do with the fact that most of the real ones went to China in the past... China has rampant coin counterfeiting and Chinese counterfeiters take advantage of the fact that collectors would expect real trade dollars to come from China, and Chinese counterfeiters have a lot of practice faking these. I suppose if you don't like trade dollars and aren't buying them anyway, you're perfectly safe from ever getting ripped off with a fake lol... This is a coin that is faked so often I would never consider buying an uncertified one. My sig notwithstanding (I'd be paying for a certified opinion of its authenticity, not its grade, so I'd be willing to make an exception to my usual "no-slab" rule.)
Well back in the 50's and 60's it was an easy way to turn 80 cents worth of silver into an easily sold item that would bring 60 to 70 dollars. In the early 70's it was $2 into $150. (This was during time periods when common Unc Morgans brought $4 to $10, and there were no certification services that could authenticate them for you. Now in the 90's and 2000's they are using base metal and are turning 30 cents of metal and effort into "coins" they can easily sell on eBay for hundreds of dollars. With those kinds of profits available it's not surprising that they are actively faked.
Certainly would - ryanng408 - he's an Asian guy and he's from San Jose, Ca. Remember tho- most of these sellers who try pawning off counterfeits change their Ebay names continuously.
Not necessarily. Why do you automatically assume that a scam artist will use his real name or location? "Ryan" is a European name, Ng" is a Vietnamese name, and the guy using them could be of any ethnic background.
Trade Dollars on Ebay I too have purchased a fake Trade Dollar on Ebay, but only after emailing the seller and questioning its authenticity. He guaranteed me it was real and when it arrived, I looked at it (rut-roh), "rolled" it on my desk (rut-roh), then got out the magnifying glass to see the pitted surfaces(mega rut-roh). Since then, I've done better at spotting the fakes and running from a blurry picture but every once in a while, I'll come across one that looks real so I'll email the seller and ask for larger pictures. With higher resolution pictures, it’s much easier to spot the fakes and if the pictures are iffy, I won’t buy the coin. I haven't bought a fake since I've instituted this practice (knock on wood). Remember, just because there are peeps selling fake coins on Ebay, not everyone is doing it. There are many legitimate coin sellers on Ebay. You just gotta wade through the phonies to get to them. Ribbit, Toad :smile
