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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;-jeffB, post: 2162553, member: 27832&quot;]I&#039;m a bit confused here.</p><p><br /></p><p>On the one hand, there are countless books and references available that will allow anyone to identify authentic coins from fakes. Through some deficiency I don&#039;t understand, counterfeiters are unable to learn from these books to improve their work.</p><p><br /></p><p>On the other hand, we can&#039;t discuss details of how to diagnose fakes here on the Internet, because if we openly explain the diagnostics, the counterfeiters will promptly correct their errors.</p><p><br /></p><p>If counterfeiters are agile enough to keep up with Internet discussions and improve their wares on an Internet timescale (i.e. very quickly), how can you say that static, long-published <i>books</i> contain &quot;all the information one could possibly need to identify authentic coins from fakes&quot;, and why is <i>every</i> counterfeiter too stupid to take advantage of those same resources?</p><p><br /></p><p>My personal take: it&#039;s a good deal easier to <i>spot</i> faults in a fake coin than it is to <i>correct</i> them, and it will always remain so. Eventually, some fakers will &quot;correct&quot; enough errors that there&#039;s little left to &quot;spot&quot; -- or maybe not; maybe they&#039;ll reach a point where correcting one error always leads to at least one new error.</p><p><br /></p><p>In the meantime, though, <b>open discussion on forums like this helps </b><i><b>collectors</b></i><b> a lot MORE than it helps </b><i><b>counterfeiters.</b></i> Again, solely my opinion, as a very junior participant in the hobby/business.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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