Types of fakes...and how to identify them

While I agree with the first sentence in this post, I disagree strongly with the rest of it.

"Authenticated/TPG slabbed coins" offer no guarantee of anything, period. On the other hand, all reputable auction houses and most VCoins dealers offer an authenticity guarantee, which is the only meaningful guarantee when it comes to ancient coins.

"Best thing they point out defects like hairlines/ tooling/ smoothing/ cleaning/ repairs/ spot removal." Not universally true, and greatly dependent on the expertise of the individual who evaluated the coin. Some so-called experts on this site who grade coins for a living have egregiously mis-evaluated a coin from a picture, so their "expertise" is suspect at best.

"Only problem a MS 5/5 strike 5/5 surface is a CNG EF, even the GEM 5/5 5/5 would not qualify as a CNG FDC." Really, who cares? Evaluate the coin for the criteria that's important to you, rather than some non-collector who is buying the slab for its grade. If it's really critical, examine the coin in person before buying or reach an agreement with the dealer that you can return it for a refund if you decide you don't like it.

 

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Great post!! But if you think fake ancient struck coins are tough, you should check out how terrible complex fake cash coins are. Casted and just characters..

 

I am not an expert, or anything close. I do know that when you give China money, it doesn't take long for them to make whatever they are getting paid for, to look like it is really good. May be junk but it LOOKS good. No offence to any members that are natives of that country and still reside there. I browse Aliexpress sometimes, they have so many and they are so easy to find. Type "copy" and what ever you collect and there is a huge list of fakes on display. I will NEVER buy anything from there ever because of that.
I mean if they are making 1956 Lincoln cents, what is left to copy?
With Ebay, Amazon and the FTC not caring or enforcing at all and most collectors who do care feel like any resistance is futile, the outlook is bleak IMHO.

 

I agree, China is a source for a lot of fakes. Heck they even make fraudulent gold bars. But then look at their human rights abuses, stealing technology, spying, no envirnomental concerns....
Human organ harvesting, ethnic cleansing in Tibet, Molslem population in Xinjiang, support for North Korean regime, still venerate Chairman Mao who murdered more people the Stalin.