http://cgi.ebay.com/1933-Proof-20-D...&otn=4&po=LVI&ps=63&clkid=6874022910402022922 On the title of his listing it says "Gold Copy." He does not say anything about it being "gold plated" and has a COA for the coin. If you notice on the COA it speaks of the 1933 Proof Double Eagle coin and says nothing about a copy. Did the US mint produce a copy of the 1933 Proof Double Eagle coin or is this listing looking to sucker someone?
Well, he is stating that it is a copy and it says copy on the reverse. But at that price it would take a real sucker to sell it. It sounds as though you need to read up on the 1933 double eagle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1933_Double_Eagle
Google reveals a few other instances of people offering coins like this for sale, priced as though they actually contained 1.5 oz of gold, and bearing different serial numbers. I wouldn't be surprised to find that it actually is solid gold. But I would be very surprised to find someone willing to buy it sight-unseen on the basis of fuzzy photographs. Heck, I'd be surprised to find someone willing to pay ~50% over spot for a dodgy, ill-documented "proof copy" under any circumstances.
I wasn't thinking of purchasing the coin. Any coin that says "copy" on it, I'm not buying it. I wish EBay would take listings like this off if that is not 1.5oz of gold.
Not a US Mint product. The card is from the 2002 ANA World's Fair of Money and was most likely either a giveaway or cost a few bucks. If the coin truly is .999 gold, then the value of this coin is still just bullion (or a few bucks more for the souvenir card). The certificate of authenticity does not list the title of the person who signed it. If it was a mint employee, I would expect a title of some sort. This listing is on the same par as those TV coin shows trying to sucker someone in to buying highly overpriced coins. Actually, the quality is less (the TV shows usually slab their stuff), however (if it is truly 1.5 ounces of 0.999 gold), this seller is only trying to get a 40% profit. Either way anybody who does buy this deserves the 'sucker' title. If you are looking for a copy of the 1933 Double Eagle, many companies have made duplicates, mostly of base metals with a very thin gold plating. One of the nicer ones is from Royal Oak Mint http://www.royaloakmint.com/gold.htm#1933p
Cringely, I was just curious. I saw the listing and just wanted to see if the seller was committing fraud or not.
Here's a link I found describing the event... http://www.coinresource.com/news/news2002-prior/ana_2002_show.htm ...but I don't see mention of this particular copy. Here's a link that indicates that the focus of the ANA World's Fair of Money is the auction of an actual 1933 $20 St. Gaudens double eagle. http://www.pcgs.com/articles/article_view.chtml?artid=3499&universeid=313 The event was an ANA fundraiser with a numismatic "Who's Who" list of attendees. It seems reasonable that a solid gold copy such as this might have been sold there. I see mention of other fundraiser coins being sold there, but no mention of this one...perhaps because it's a copy. I don't see anything that mentions "gold clad" or "gold plated"...just 1.5 Oz of solid .9999 gold. It would also be odd that the Mint Director (Henrietta Holsman Fore) and BEP Director (Thomas Ferguson) would lend their signatures (or facsimiles) to presentation of a misrepresented copy. I would think the value of this copy (if independently authenticated) would be in the presentation, the bullion, and as a souvenier of the event. Of course, if I wanted it, I would call or write the ANA to independently verify the composition and (even though it's a copy) find out more details about how and by whom the copy was struck.
Yakpoo "I don't see anything that mentions "gold clad" or "gold plated"...just 1.5 Oz of solid .9999 gold. It would also be odd that the Mint Director (Henrietta Holsman Fore) and BEP Director (Thomas Ferguson) would lend their signatures (or facsimiles) to presentation of a misrepresented copy." they didn't endorse this product. This is a "compiled" collecto's piece. The card was given out at the 2002 ANA World's Fair of Money to commemorate the sale of the only legal '33. This dealer has put these items in a frame together on his own and may be trying to imply the endorsement but no such endorsement was ever made. Richard Read more: http://www.cointalk.com/showthread.php?t=154557&pagenumber=#ixzz1D6smcY9W
OK...I didn't know the history behind this copy. Like I said, I don't see any reference to it in the description of the event and wouldn't advise anyone to buy it without independent verification of the details. If it's a plated copy being sold as a solid, pure gold round (as it is), I would definately say that constitutes fraud (imho).
