How Do You Spot Modern Counterfeits On Online Auctions?

While some fakes are rather poorly made and easy to spot (obvious casting granulation, poor metal quality, or blatant errors like wrong dates or mismatched obverse/reverse), the latest round of Chinese fakes can be much trickier. Knowledge is the best defence.

Study. Become very familiar with the series you're going to collect, especially if you intend to be handing over big bucks at Internet auctions. Know what real coins should look like, in the hand and on the screen. That way, anything odd or strange about a coin will set off your internal alarms.

Become familiar with the fakes. Once you've found a fake, study it carefully - find the flaws that set it apart from the genuine. Look for similar traits on otherwise non-suspicious coins.

Guilt by association. When you find a fake for sale, look at everything else that seller has on offer; chances are, they're fake too. Some fake sellers get caught and NARUed from ebay only to sign back on with a different ID, but people are lazy and the auction format will likely remain the same. Use the entire appearance/layout of the auction page as clues; if you've got the skill, save a copy of the fake auction sales page for future reference.

And of course, "Everything from China is fake". While it sounds prejudiced to say that (well, OK, it is prejudiced to say that), there are so many bogus sellers based in China that anything coming from there is presumed guilty until proven innocent.

Unfortunately, there are some sellers that noticed this prejudice that hence start to register on overseas accounts.

The best solution is, if you know that you are going to spend big money, make sure you know what you are doing. Sometimes if a coin goes too cheaply, perhaps you may think it went for a steal but quite likely it's people who don't know that they got a counterfeit one.

I purchased a bundle of Jefferson nickels once that I knew had been altered by artificial toning. I did it on purpose as they were inexpensive. I'm using them as a learning tool. The reason I know they are AT'd is they are blue in color, and a few have splotchy toning. (Chemical toning, and added heat) Sometime this year, I'm planing on forming a club here in the Keys, and will use them to show beginners some of the obvious indications. Hope this helps in your question.

cuedude

Thanks for the tips. I'm trying my best to study the coins that I want. I know that the best guard against modern counterfeits would be checking their weight. But online auctions are new to me and I dont have that luxury of checking their weight.

Aside from the details, is dirt/stains due to age a good sign of authenticity?

There is a book on Counterfiet coins available. I think PCGS puts it out. There is a ton of info inside to help with this subject. It discusses toning, molding, and how to spot a fake. You will find however, that there is much to study with this book. Some things pointed out are quit subtle, and actually hard to see. Other things pointed out, as said earlier in this thread, knowing what your coin is suposed to look like is your best defense. Good luck.

cuedude

Some very good points have been made regarding the Chinese auctions and the critical importance of knowing your material.

I have a few other pointers:

1. The newer Chinese forgeries are often full weight silver - so weight is no longer and absolute test. This is particularly so in the case of newer US Dollar and Spanish Colonial 8Rs.

2. Most of the coins made by the Chinese will hit the secondary market and not all the buyers will want to take a loss. That is one reason why so many are appearing on ebay posted by US sellers.

3. The majority of modern counterfeits are aged chemically and they show a similarity in color and condition that should make anyone suspicious.

4. Remember a bargain - if it is too great is most likely a fake.

5. If anyone wants a free second opinion from a photograph just send it directly to me. I have been collecting counterfeits since 1960 and have been on ebay since 1999 hunting there. I think I am pretty good at spotting the various signs of forgery in scans.