Spruett
Thanks for the link. Your link leads to another on detecting counterfeit PCGS slabs. It has side by side diagnostics comparing a fake slab to a genuine one. I find it so hard to detect the side by side diagnostics that I am sure I could not spot a fake from a real slab on an internet photo. So, I looked at all my PCGS slabbed coins. There are so many different generations of holders, green, shield, whatnot, that the diagnostics described on the link I read do not apply to. I suspect that with a great deal of practice I could learn to "see" some of the diagnostic points shown on the side by side comparison, but I doubt I have the eye to catch much, and I think it would be much more likely that I would miss a fake than catch one.
After being repeatedly burned with sliders buying raw coins on the internet, I have only been buying slabbed coins.which I figure protects me from photos taken at angles that conceal the hairlines and other evidence of slight circulation. I also thought slabs protected me from cleaned coins, but that was before I learned about "commercially acceptable" straight graded slabbed coins. Finally, with a slab, you have the TPG's guaranty the coin is genuine.
Unless the slab is a fraud.
I don't even know how to start addressing that question. I am going to start a new thread on tips for identifying counterfeit slabs. From what I have seen so far, it does not look easy to do.
Thanks for the link. Your link leads to another on detecting counterfeit PCGS slabs. It has side by side diagnostics comparing a fake slab to a genuine one. I find it so hard to detect the side by side diagnostics that I am sure I could not spot a fake from a real slab on an internet photo. So, I looked at all my PCGS slabbed coins. There are so many different generations of holders, green, shield, whatnot, that the diagnostics described on the link I read do not apply to. I suspect that with a great deal of practice I could learn to "see" some of the diagnostic points shown on the side by side comparison, but I doubt I have the eye to catch much, and I think it would be much more likely that I would miss a fake than catch one.
After being repeatedly burned with sliders buying raw coins on the internet, I have only been buying slabbed coins.which I figure protects me from photos taken at angles that conceal the hairlines and other evidence of slight circulation. I also thought slabs protected me from cleaned coins, but that was before I learned about "commercially acceptable" straight graded slabbed coins. Finally, with a slab, you have the TPG's guaranty the coin is genuine.
Unless the slab is a fraud.
I don't even know how to start addressing that question. I am going to start a new thread on tips for identifying counterfeit slabs. From what I have seen so far, it does not look easy to do.























