Another Fake Coin Ebay Seller.

Talk about a motherload of fakes.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/3-50909/m.h..._ipg=&_from=

How do y'all know it's fake?

There are some of us trying to learn how to spot fakes and while I agree that it may be an obvious fake to many folks who know how to tell, identification of some of the obvious bits would be helpful to those of us still trying to learn and for whom it is not yet obvious.

It is helpful to know to look for off color and mushy/incorrect details. But what details are incorrect? What do you mean by "mushy"? How is "mushy" different from "weak strike"? What about the color makes it "off"?

Thanks.

The often gray color gives the appearance of a cast fake. Usually most fakes you will see come from china.

The details will be more blank or plain as compared to a real coin of that type, as in the middle there might be no detail.

I hope this helps since this is what I learned from here! You'll get the hang of fakes like CoinHuntingDrew does in no time.

Thanks, that's helpful. So I'm hearing that I should know what the details of a real coin of that type looks like (like what dentils various parts of various letter point to, specific location and size of mintmarks and date numerals, etc.). Which can only be done by examining a bunch of them and learning what is usual about that particular coin (or even that particular year, as several folks here are good at). At the very least, I should look for examples of that coin that I know are usual and real, like from reputable auctions, websites like this one, books, etc. That will help me spot stuff that is unusual.

And because there ain't no flippin' way on God's green Earth for me to get comfortable with the "usual" for all types of coins in all geographies, it behooves me to be cautious regarding a gray color (checking to see the "real" metal for that type and if gray is the usual color), a source from China (as a country "known" for "knock-off" business models), and lack of, "soft," or plain details (checking references to see if weak strikes are known/prevalent for that type for those details).

Much of this information for each coin type is generally available on the internet, so I just need to do my homework (doable).

And for "high value" coins, either get the expertise to judge genuineness (a year or ten), take the risk (which can be significant), or trust somebody who does have the expertise to minimize the risk (third party graders--I presume that does not include GGS--Garoyn's Grading Service).

What other generic "tells" are good to look for besides the gray color, possibly indicating cast copy, China source, and mushy details? I've seen folks talk about edge seams (again for indication of cast copies).

[best Elvis voice] thankyouverymuuuch

It seems counterintuitive but the best way to spot fakes is to know the real deal like the palm of your hand. There are sooo many different types/looks of fakes that if you try to learn about them before studying the real deal ad nauseum it's an exercise in futility. Go to Steve Caruso's website called "The black cabinet" he has a photo database of every known counterfit he can get his hands on for educational purposes

Looks like someone bought it.

Yes to all your statements Garoyn. You are learning nicely. The biggest thing is find reliable sources to purchase your coins. Local coin shop, dealers at coin shows and ask questions here as there are a lot of experts and really great folks always happy to be helping other collectors. Buy the book and study hard. And yes, as Cascade mentioned check out the black cabinet for sure.