Russian animals coins

Plus I looked them up in Krause and there was nothing to indicate that they were valuable. It's one of those listings where every price besides the top grade is --- which usually means negligible.

 

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You purchased the set as a novelty because you like the look of it, so don't feel too bad, as you paid novelty price for it. I'm sure plenty of people have been on the hook for a lot more

 

True, but I thought they were real coins. That's why it's annoying. I might not be that different from Isle of Man coins or the other NCLT, but it seems like it. It's not the worst purchase in history but it's just an annoying situation.

 

I thought those designs/engraving jobs looked a little... like NOT from an state-level mint. After reading the conversation here, and seeing gx's photos of his coins, I'm all like, "Oh, no...!"

It's one of the hazards of our hobby. We've all been taken at one time or another, I think.

 

Unfortunately these days with low value coins, they are counterfeited as well. I believe I own a counterfeit Chinese 1 yuan coin, which at that time - the exchange rate would make it around 12 US cents.

I can only estimate that the cost of counterfeiting has to be less than 10 cents. Therefore anything that is worth more than 50 cents is worthwhile to be counterfeited.

Sad reality but we must step up on the game of educating, eradicating counterfeits.

 

If purchased from eBay, you can ding this guy before leaving feedback for selling replicas/counterfeits. Even if the listing says they are replicas, I think (?) all sales of replica coins in the USA not marked as "copy" are illegal. Just a thought.

 

I already left feedback before finding out they were replicas. And he's in Russia so I don't know if that would apply to him.

 

Not to mention the starkly different quality of detail. I couldn't put my finger on it at first, until I saw Gxseries' coins--oh well.

 

I think my set cost $15 total.

 

I attach all images of the Red Book Russia set i just bought from Ukraine and will be grateful if you could cast a quick look for authenticity. I will be very grateful as I paid $300.
The weights of the Russian Red book all seem to be different .


Its 5.81 g for Mountain goat 1992 5R USSR
6.04 gm for Owl 1992 USSR 5 R
6.11 gm for 10 R1992 Russia Siberian Tiger
6.18gm for Gazelle 50 R 1994 Russia

The published weight is 5.95 g for all.. These 4 seem to be out of the 1% tolerance limit..
Does it mean they are fakes? Could you compare with your coins,
I attach a image of the Siberian Tiger as the edge seems to be damaged... Is it due to faking or damage on rim.All other images are also there
Please let me know if the coins are genuine
regards
Shamik

 

I have about 20 of these as well, and as I started looking through your initial photos I had a sinking feeling...

Too bad I don't have any gazelles, though.

 

Are they genuine? I am not clear with your statement

 

My apologies for being unclear - I have about 20 genuine coins and as I was looking at the OP's coins I got a sinking feeling that his were replicas/fakes. Mine were bought out of an older collection and probably put in 2x2s by the original owner as soon as they were issued.

 

Shamik, I'm far from an expert on the series but at least yours have the correct surface look to them. Mine were very shiny and don't look like the originals that I purchased later.

Stldanceartist, yes, this turned out to not be one of my better buys. I was just looking for animal coins on eBay and didn't do any research so I didn't realize the originals were valuable and I had to be wary of fakes. So many countries have issued modern animal coins in recent years that are not rare that it didn't raise any red flags with me.

 

Yeah, it's rare to find a contemporary-era World Coin or coin series that has any real collector value. This could have easily happened to me, or anyone else who is so used to this status quo. I will try to take a lesson from this...

 

Perhaps so, but my guess is that the Russian government might take a dim view of a Russian citizen selling or possessing counterfeits of its current circulating coinage (just as the US government might not be too happy with a US citizen possessing or selling counterfeit US currency).

 

stldanceartist, What is your opinion on my coins? Are they genuine?

 

@shamik - At first glance, your coins look like my coins, so I’d venture a guess that they’re genuine.

@Hiddendragon - Yeah, totally understand. (Also read your earlier posts, so I get where you’re coming from. Who would counterfeit a 2002 State quarter set? Apparently though that’s where we’re at... Honestly, if I didn’t have those coins sitting in front of me - and I’d never owned any - I probably wouldn’t have thought twice about them either. I’m sure I’ve got a few counterfeits in my collection that I don’t know about. I remember in particular a British trade dollar that fooled me and another forum member once. I just got a few Somali 10 shilling coins that I looked up in the Krause manual with book values of like a buck apiece. Who would fake those? Again, I’m sure somewhere there is someone trying to fake even those.)

What I wanted to say was thank you for sharing - and to others on the forum for "sounding the alarm." We can't take anything for granted, really. Gotta keep on our toes (and there's a ballerina joke in there somewhere, right? Ha...)

 

Anyone know why these coins have "Red Book" on them? I first encountered them a few months ago right here when someone first posted one. My first reaction was "Red Book"!? Why? It seems like a very odd thing to put on a coin.

 

I found myself feeling really upset as I began to read the word "fake" on the replies and that your coins might not be real. I myself would have never imagined that recent issues like these would be faked. If they really are fake, you have my sympathies. If I lived near by you I'd say, let's grab a beer and vent.