Know your dealer well, especially if he has a reputation that is respected internationally. I buy most of my acquisitions off guys I have known for decades, and describe lots for the international auction market. That also means that these lots should also garner the same level of trust for ANY buyer who may compete against me at those auctions.
Nevertheless, probably 90% of my acquisitions have a current value of say $15 or less, and have come from the junk boxes or retail over the counter from those dealers.
I've bought fakes off ebay, notably a 1923 half-crown, silver-plated contemporary counterfeit. Passes a quick ring test, weight good, but the silver is wearing off.
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