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How To Tell Is A PCGS Slabbed Coin From A Chinese Seller Is Fake?

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Valued Member

Canada
191 Posts
 Posted 09/22/2025  11:38 am Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add recollector to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
I usually look at the photo of the coin on the PCGS website and compare it with the ebay listing photo. There are usually minor spots and marks all over the coin I can confirm as being in the same positions in both photos. Is this a reliable method to ensure the coin is not in a fake slab? Or are there artists out there who precisely mark the coin so it looks like the PCGS photo?
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HondoB's Avatar
United States
24856 Posts
 Posted 09/22/2025  12:47 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add HondoB to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
recollector, I assume that everything coming from China is fake. Also, how can you ensure that the coin / slab pictures in the listing have not been lifted from another listing, or even that what is shown is what you'll receive?
My advice: just stay away.
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Brandmeister's Avatar
United States
6448 Posts
 Posted 09/22/2025  3:26 pm  Show Profile   Check Brandmeister's eBay Listings Bookmark this reply Add Brandmeister to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
A fraudster is probably not going to physically doctor a coin to appear like the certified coin. They will just lift pictures from a prior listing. Way less effort.
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Marv65's Avatar
United States
10470 Posts
 Posted 09/22/2025  5:19 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Marv65 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
If the ebay seller is from China just don't buy it. Better safe than sorry.
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Sap's Avatar
Australia
16804 Posts
 Posted 09/22/2025  5:51 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Sap to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
They're generally not going to be attempting to replicate the appearance of the coin within the slab - that would be a rather difficult trick to get it right, and getting it "almost right" would be worse than not attempting it at all, given the human eye's ability to spot such discrepancies. As noted by others above, a fraudster is much more likely to use a photo of the genuine slab, then ship you a fake slab.

Two things you might try to do in such a circumstance:
- Check the image for evidence of a watermark or removed watermark.
- Do a Google image search for that image.

This will of course only mean that the image was stolen. It's entirely possible for a counterfeiter to actually own a slabbed coin (which they have use as a model for their fakes), take a picture of the genuine slabbed coin themselves, and then ship you a fake.
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sel_69l's Avatar
Australia
21786 Posts
 Posted 09/22/2025  11:13 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add sel_69l to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
The topic question worries me.
That is one of the reasons why I don't have any slabs.
Valued Member
Canada
191 Posts
 Posted 09/23/2025  03:42 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add recollector to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
But if its paid by paypal why would it be a risk? isn't it a money back guarantee if the received product is a fake?

On the flip side, if you send a genuine coin and the buyer says its fake and files a complaint, and then sends you back a fake one, how can you get your real coin back? Are there protections with ebay?

What worries me is that the seller has a 100% feedback, which means they should be dependable, but they just cancelled my order after I won, I guess because I got too good a deal.

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BadThad's Avatar
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19930 Posts
 Posted 09/24/2025  4:26 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add BadThad to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
NEVER buy a US coin from a Chinese seller. There are so many fakes and scams out there it's ridiculous.
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