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 Replies: 28 / Views: 3,314 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
757 Posts |
I tend to buy a lot of things on a whim, but this one has to be one of the stranger things I have recently bought. I bought a small black box.  When I finally made it home and opened the box to my surprise it contained these.  An entire box of altered, cast, or otherwise suspect coins from all over the world. With the almost daily posts of fake and altered coins on ebay I figure this will be an invaluable educational tool for myself. Good thing I took a chance on that box. |
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Moderator
 United States
188770 Posts |
A nice set of acquisitions for your black cabinet.  |
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
It would be an invaluable service to the hobby if you could, over time, document these photographically and statistically. There's a bunch of knowledge to be extracted from that little box.  |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
757 Posts |
I'll definitely try to get weights and sizes of them along with pictures and post them for future reference. I actually have an XRF scanner coming to me within the next few weeks (another business venture) so I can get actual composition too. Just a quick glace and some of them are actually comical, but on the other hand some have me wondering what is fake about them. There is a 1955 double die Wheat cent that looks amazing, except for the fact is magnetic. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
7075 Posts |
They're all fakes?
Must have been someone's counterfeit collection.
Interesting.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
757 Posts |
There are some real coins in there but they have been altered in one way or another ie added mintmark, shaved date 1944 D to 1914 D Wheat cent, repunched mintmark, highly polished/cleaned coins or straight up cast fakes. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Wow! Standing by!  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1512 Posts |
Is there a big market for counterfeit coins? I came into quite a large stash of various counterfeits recently (knowingly). I don't really know what to do with them. Does Steve Caruso still run the Black Cabinet?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
757 Posts |
I don't know if there is a big market for them seeing as how "selling" them could be against the law. Passing counterfeit is after all illegal. I for one would love to keep adding them to my stash as the more you see the more you know what to look for. I've had waitstaff take counterfeit bills and it's a long drawn out process getting the bank and secret service involved trying to unintentionally deposit one. if you had an example to show what to look for it could save you time, heartache, and money. I wouldn't intentionally buy a collection of fakes, but if they happened along in a box or something I wouldn't be upset. You also need to be safe having them and making sure they are stored and labeled as fakes, because if you happen to have an accident or something and family needed to liquidate your collection they could unknowingly release fakes into the market place. That or a dealer may see the fake and assume your collection is full of them and greatly reduce their offer price.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
757 Posts |
Here is the magnetic 1955 DDO.  |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5828 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
18680 Posts |
Cool and scary to know there are others out there this good. Yikes!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
757 Posts |
If you plan om casting a coin, make sure you get a decent mold.   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7390 Posts |
Wowzers. Can we ask what the circumstances were in acquiring the "mystery" box. Was it an auction?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
757 Posts |
A very nice copper morgan.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
757 Posts |
A perfect 1909 s vdb. I really can't tell why this made the box.  |
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Replies: 28 / Views: 3,314 |
Posted 08/31/2015 5:58 pm
