It Seems I Made A Mistake.

People going off half-cocked like this may have played a role in ebay's recent evisceration of the CCW. I wonder what percentage of their workload was uninformed reporters who didn't bother with due diligence first, turning CCW into an unproductive money sink.

Oh I'm sorry! I just thought it was wierd that when I looked the certification number on the copper it didn't show up. Sorry if I made a mistake.

So you stubbed your toe. You ain't the first, and I've got my fair share of bruises.

Teaching moment. Here's what you do when you have a suspect coin on ebay or a similar venue:

1) Research the seller. What's their Feedback look like? What are they/have they been selling? Is that $25k coin typical, or atypical for them? What's their bio page say? Can you relate them to a Web presence, or B&M, elsewhere? How long have they been doing this?

2) Research the coin. Look up the cert, noting (as CoinCollector2000 just learned) that the Cert Lookup is not always 100% accurate. Absolutely hit Heritage Auctions' archives to see if you can find a previous sale for that coin. Any CCF member who isn't also registered at Heritage is missing out. Look for that raw coin you're looking at to appear in a Heritage previous sale in a Details slab.

3) Stop. Think. Consider what is wheat, and what is chaff. That is the key to online research, because you can find anyone saying anything anywhere on the Internet if you look hard enough.

If you can look in the mirror and say, "Yeah, I've done my due diligence and I still think this one's queer," then post it here. As a suspicion, not a certainty. Ask opinions. Yes, there are some who post these coins here as done deals. People like g048406, who is vastly experienced and a past master at identifying these deceptive listings.

Chances are, you're not vastly experienced. Be cautious, conservative, and considerate. Phrase it as a question, not an answer, but do it. With ebay having abandoned us to the wolves, we need to reach a whole new level of vigilance. Everyone with a moment to spare needs to be on the lookout for scams like this might have been, and unafraid to shine the harsh light of day on them so we can help prevent buyers (at least our brothers ans sisters at CCF) from being taken advantage of.

Don't be afraid to act. Just be smart when you do.

Yeah, he scored more points than he lost with his handling of the situation.

What is this CCW I keep hearing about ebay doing away with? People have been saying ebay is making it easier for people to get away with fake coin listings, but I don't understand these acronyms they are using to describe it.

CCW was ebay's Community Coin Watch, an association of numismatic experts and ebay employees whose job it was to research and act on people's reports of bad auctions and counterfeit coins. They were pretty darn effective, and I know of more than one CCF member who was (quietly) affiliated with them. They disbanded it recently. It's still possible to report auctions, but they'll be acted upon - if at all - by people who are clueless about coins.

I've not gotten a response, which is policy for the standard reporting system. I have had listings removed quickly though.

Woah woah woah.. You can't just go around apologizing on the internet! That might break the entire internet! Take it back! Call them derogatory names! NEVER APOLOGIZE!!



Somehow, someway, the internet survived! Good on you for admitting and owning up to your mistake. I'm glad I'm part of a forum that can show such civility.