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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Tom B, post: 1601232, member: 11854&quot;]Yes, in most instances buying a counterfeit coin or holder is rare.&nbsp; My experience as a dealer behind a table at coin shows has led to my being offered only a few altered Lincoln cents (1909 VDB cents altered to 1909-S VDB) and my experience at coin auctions has seen only a single altered Lincoln cent (1944-D altered to 1914-D).&nbsp; These were all raw coins.&nbsp; I have never been offered a fake slab.&nbsp; Please keep in mind that I do larger shows and typically deal with other experienced dealers.&nbsp; My clients are also generally far more seasoned than the larger pool.</p><p><br /></p><p>In my opinion, much of the problem of these fake slabs or coins is that they target newer or less advanced collectors.&nbsp; Many newer or less advanced collectors follow the cheapest price to the bottom of the barrel and then deal with folks who are out to rip them off.&nbsp; These newer or less advanced collectors allow the desire for a deal to overtake their knowledge.&nbsp; At that point they are in trouble and make the mistake of dealing with someone who is out to rip them off.&nbsp; When I write a &quot;newer or less advanced collector&quot; what I mean is someone who is new to the hobby-industry or someone who has been involved for quite a while, but has never taken the educational aspect of the hobby-industry that seriously.&nbsp; There are significant resources available online and in print to help someone find out if a particular coin or holder looks off or if something is suspicious or too good to be true.&nbsp; Truly, if you are not certain about a coin, then walk away from it as there are always going to be more coins to choose.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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