A Reeded Edge 1803 Bust Dollar - Check It Out.

This is a copy of the e-mail I just sent the buyer of this coin. I hope this quiets down any doubts about my integrity.

dear buyer,

I have received some comments about this coin telling me that this coin is not real. My experience tells me that these busibodies don't know what they are talking about..but just to give you full disclosure, I am letting you know. I personally don't know if this coin is real or not. Therefore, am letting you know what I know. If you still want this coin, I am going to reduce the price to $50 postage included...if you no longer want this coin, I understand, let me know so I can take appropriate measures. Even if you do buy this coin for $50, I still will offer you a 100% money-back guarantee no questions asked for 30 days. I hope this sounds fair, as my reputation is worth more than one coin.

Thanks,
Mitch (zang9)

I am not a "busybody," zang9. I am a moderator at a relatively prominent online community dedicated to numismatics. Part of my mission here, my job, is to help protect the hobby we love from the inroads of fraudulent sellers, by educating the membership. I am failing to do my job if I do not tell you the truth, since you have been man enough to come here and listen to it.

You do not have to believe me or anyone else here. The information which proves your coin a counterfeit is freely available on the Internet. Go look for yourself, rather than calling us liars. I will be happy to provide you with links. You are playing with fire this time, man.

You've done right by the buyer, in my opinion, and as a result have left yourself the clear option of claiming good-will belief that the coin was genuine, since you reacted immediately to the allegations that your coin was not genuine.

Mitch, there is a large and entrenched body of fraudulent sellers in numimsmatics, especially on ebay. They operate with the tacit endorsement of ebay, which has been warned many, many times about the operations of these people, and has been provided with incontrovertible evidence to that effect, yet still does virtually nothing to prevent these sales. As a result, every single day people who have failed to properly educate themselves, or are just plain greedy, wanting something for nothing, lose money they shouldn't spend on coins they shouldn't buy. There are many like me in the hobby who are no longer passively watching as this happens.

You've been perceived as one of these fraudulent sellers by this auction. I don't care for your attitude towards me, but I think you've done the right thing with your auction and that's far more important than my personal popularity.

I will be locking this thread in order to avoid further dogpiling on the part of the membership. You are welcome here at Coin Community; I recommend that, even if you don't stay, you take a look around and note some of the information available here concerning alphabet slabbers and other numismatic ripoff artists. That will give you an idea of why our reaction was so dramatic.