Whatever to do with non-authentic "coins"?

After several years of gathering up many coins I've encountered that are fake, replica, cast, copy, museum productions, or the like, I now have about 50 of the buggers. (Including a few duplicate fakes.) It has been good to take them out of the market to protect newbies. And the group has served as an interesting study group.

However, now I'm rather stuck with them. I'd hate to facilitate their getting into the hands of those who may pass them off as authentic. But I really don't want them anymore. Suggestions of what to do?

(Practically all are known fakes. Only a very few are highly deceptive. But nonetheless... they are not the real deal and are therefore potential fodder for the unscrupulous.)



If anyone has a humorous idea of what to do with them -- share that, too! But my initial/primary motivation is to seek serious suggestions of how to safely part with them.

 

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Stamp the word "copy" on each.
Drill a hole in each and make an art project, wind chimes (add several sections of small, copper pipe), a necklace, etc.

 

Cast them in resin. Make a table. Then it's a conversation piece.

 

Some coin collectors do also collect fakes - specifically, at the German Forum there is at least one member that collects those.

You could try to sell them as fakes, maybe someone is interested; just saying...

 

If you want to make sure they never get into the hands of anyone who may try to use them to scam others, you can cut them up, recycle them, or melt them down and cast them into molds if any are precious metals like silver. I personally would keep them, but I keep all sorts of useless curiosities.

 

Scatter them about a civil war battlefield. That outta confound some future metal detectorist!

 

Throw them in the garbage.
If you really want to be sure, cut them in half and throw the first halves away this week, and throw the 2nd halves away next week.

 

If you can, try to struck a "F" or "copy" on them, and then give them away for free for educational purpose.

 

Maybe there are schools that would be interested in them... I'm sure even a fake ancient coin may spark the curiosity of children to go out and collect the real thing... small kids would probably think that even fakes may be special...

 

Dig a hole in your garden and bury them...

 

Since you are from Texas, the answer should be obvious, use them for target practice!

 

There are dealers who would probably take the better ones for their own black cabinets and, I suspect, many collectors as well. Ask collectors you trust enough to know they won't do the wrong thing with them and I bet you'd find someone who wants them. Even if most are rather obvious fakes there appear to be plenty of pieces there that would be interesting for study and would be a good start for someone wanting to put together their own black cabinet.

 

Thanks for all your responses!!!

If I could, I'd send each of you an award certificate.

MOST ARTISTICALLY CREATIVE...

MOST TEMPTING...

MOST PRAGMATICALLY CAPITALISTIC...

MOST LIKELY TO BE ACTUALLY CARRIED OUT...

MOST HUMOROUSLY ORNERY (BY FAR!)...

MOST EFFECTIVE DESTRUCTIVE DISPERSAL...

MOST EDUCATIONALLY GENEROUS (2-way TIE!)...

-AND-

MOST AGRICULTUALLY BENEFICIAL...

(Afterall, trace metals in soil can enhance its fertility!)

BEST ALL-AROUND ANSWER (IMO)...

MOST FUN!!!...

Being from Texas, I've already "processed" a few in that manner. :-D Here's one that "faced" a .22 caliber Interceptor high velocity copper solid point flying out of a well-aimed long rifle. (And yes, it was done skeet shooting style -- tossed in the air. I'm thinking I don't need much further target practice.)

Caveat to the paragraph preceding the coin image: Being from Texas, there may be just a tiny bit of "tall tale" in portion(s) of the above claim. (Or there may not be.)

 

Here are coins that have been actually hit by a bullet. They are said to have been in a soldier's pocket during the 1st World War, and have saved his life.

 

I have a bowl of low grade and fake coins on a low bookshelf. They’re fun to dump into a big pile and grab handfuls of sometimes, and also serve as a fun conversation piece. Sometimes I’ll let people pick a few to take home. The nice thing about them is, with little kids in and out of the house, it’s no problem if some of them walk off and find a new home as they’re all little to no value coins.

 

1. Begin collecting fake coins and learn about (like amentia in the German forum).

2. Or destroy the coins (make a whole or do other things).

But don't please sell the coins or give it other persons. Too much risk one of them we see later at eBay or other shops, too much risk a beginner will buy one of his coins and lost his money.

 

Take pictures of them and give presentations to other collectors to help them avoid counterfeits. You can also use the photos on the web.

Destroying them does not fix the problem.

 

Give them to any large museum as a scholarly donation and you can be guaranteed that they will never see the light of day again. I would add the caveat not the British Museum as they may end up on Ebay!