Counterfeits In NGC, PCGS, ANACS, And ICG Holders

New collector here. I've read Coin World, Numismatic News, Coinage, coin Prices, etc. Where do you find Coin Week? Shouldn't this info be published in CW and NN?

That certainly would change the market as well. Those types of coins are a way for a lot of people to get dates or a level of detail they couldn't otherwise afford.

To me as long as they stand behind what they do and make any mistakes right buying them back which it sounds like they are, they market shouldn't be affected much if at all.

Update the seller "kiki2010hy" had changed the ebay user ID to "happycoins2010" and happycoins2010 currently has no coins listed on ebay.

In my new book coming out in November 2016 I have a chapter on Chinese Counterfeit Modern Coins and their die transfer methods and detection. I have analyzed over 100 Chinese coins from the die transfer process and examined their alloys. They are typically Fe/Ni, German Silver (Cu/Zn/Ni) and debased silver alloys. HOWEVER - once they are in a PCGS/NGC/ANACS holder - GAME OVER - as hand held and XRF bench top devices can't extrapolate out the plastic interference's of the coin being in the holder.

However = In person these die transfer process are easy to spot IMO due to raised metal like air bubbles, their general off-appearance and/or raised small metal spots on the surface due to air bubbles and the difficulty of duplicating the AGE FACTOR of the third side.

As most of you know I am an expert in contemporary circulating counterfeits (i.e., genuine period counterfeits) and have collections in over ten U.S./Foreign series - but once in a TPG holder and buying on the Internet - its difficult if the coin mimics the coin in the TPG database.

At this point not even John Lorenzo and his Material Devices can help ... IMO. It seems the only time you can SPOT IT ... is when its TOO LATE ... when the coin is IN HAND.

As we all know there are no regulations to stop this at the SOURCE (i.e., in China).


John Lorenzo
Numismatist
United States

This is an issue that I will guarantee you a majority of dealers won't be aware of. However, once aware of the problem, an experienced shop owner should be able to tell a counterfeit coin in a genuine slab when in hand, surely?

I'd argue it's game over before it is even slabbed. It is quite possible the copper coins in particular are being struck over worn down original and genuine large cents / Half Cents. If you can't identify it being fake from the strike characteristics, it isn't going to matter if you have XRF or any other technology.

I reported this on Facebook earlier this month.

A friend of mine (and coin dealer) bought a nice 1879 CC dollar in a PCGS slab, grade MS-64 with a CAC sticker, at a local CA coin show. Upon further examination when he returned home, the coin should have graded 61 at most. Further examination revealed a fake CAC designation on a fake holder. The holder had no PCGS logo on the lower right. He returned the coin for a full refund. He didn't crack the holder, so the coin could have been counterfeited also. Anybody else know of this problem ?

My theory is the big graders NGC, PCGS can't keep up with the demand and short grading times. So, they hire more and inexperienced people or provide short training times or people may have never been collectors to begin with. Mistakes are easy to make when you have hard demands to turn around fast on the grading. I remember a senior grader and executive at ICG 15 years ago telling me this could happen when the demand is in overload status.