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 Replies: 19 / Views: 4,211 |
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Valued Member
United States
255 Posts |
I was browsing old notes on the web ( I just love looking at them :-) and saw this note online and it looked like it was in really good shape for the price and as I looked at it some more I noticed that the serial number was printed in black and every other Tombstone note I've ever seen has blue numbers. At first I thought maybe it was a black and white image but you can see that the seal is Red so I figured I'd ask and maybe someone more knowledgeable on these things had an opinion as to whether or not this note was genuine.   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7618 Posts |
I think the note is genuine, but I don't like the fading of the red seal. I'm guessing in hand, that the serial numbers are dark blue.
The note is in a PCGS holder so that is "some" reassurance, but not bullet proof reassurance.
ASQ the Seller and ask him about the note and serial numbers and see how he responds.
The fading of the red seal is a big turn off in my opinion.
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Valued Member
 United States
255 Posts |
Thanks for the reply.. Don't know that I'm thinking of buying it (but would love a Tombstone note one day) but one of the things that also made me look twice is that yes, this is a graded note but it's only graded VF 20... every other note I've seen graded VF 20 is in much worse shape than this one... with folds or wrinkles etc... maybe it's a replica that someone put in the holder... the last red flag for me is that is's being sold by someone with the word "pawn" in their name... I''m wondering if they got duped...
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Perhaps the fading of the seal is related to the coloring of the S/Ns - some sort of bleaching issue, or the result of being poorly pressed at some point (guessing it was not PPQ). Aside from being in a PCGS holder, I've never heard of a counterfeit Tombstone.
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Valued Member
United States
255 Posts |
Here's a side-by-side with another Graded VF-20 note... the top note looks amazing by comparison.
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Rest in Peace
United States
7075 Posts |
Not an expert on these by any means BUT.... The serial number on the note in question is farther to the left than the other note. Also, there is a bit of design work under the flower or shell shape where the denomination is printed. Look just above the serial numbers 242 on the good note. There seems to be less on the note in question. In fact there seems to be detail missing inside that element -- whatever it is -- flower? And then there is a C or something above the beginning of the serial number and the one in question seems to be missing a bit of the design. The fabric pattern on the jacket in the portrait looks different too. Could all those things appear different because of lighting or a bad pic?  |
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Valued Member
United States
255 Posts |
Good observations... another thing I just noticed based on your comments are the lack of color threads in the paper in the top note and the portrait is very smooth in the first one as well
Edited by Skippy Topaz
11/21/2015 7:06 pm
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Rest in Peace
United States
7075 Posts |
Yeah, the more I look at it, the worse it looks.
The shadows for the T in TEN are really wrong.
It really helps to have the two to comapare.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
757 Posts |
Do you have a link? It almost looks like a photocopy. In the other note posted you can easily see the crosshatching, the first note posted everything is smoothed out and even looking. Almost like a bad photocopy machine that couldn't handle all the small lines and blended everything to get it close. Also the lack of security threads is off putting. The vast majority of older notes the threads are so numerous they almost detract from the original plate engraving.
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Rest in Peace
United States
7075 Posts |
I didn't even think of it being a photocopy.
Or perhaps a crummy scanner?
The serial number being a bit off position could happen ... and it could still be legit.
But the shadow for the T in Ten still bothers me.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
Diferences in thr positional registration of the serial number does not bother me very much.
What bothers me more is the difference of typeset style of the serial numbers. Also herein lies my own problem in identifying if counterfeit or not: I am not a specialist expert in identification of different typesets of the serial numbers in this series.
If I was interested to buy, I would have to investigate much further for myself in this regard.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Typeset style of the serial numbers? Please be specific - which numbers are different?!
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Valued Member
United States
255 Posts |
He may have a point regarding the font... The 3 on the left is from the bill in question and the other two were taken from other bills I found on the web and the center and bottom curve on 3 on the left definitely looks different
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1463 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
255 Posts |
Here is the note in the PCGS holder (as well as another VF20). The price seems in line which what I've seen VF20s go for but the condition seems much better. The fact that it hasn't sold yet makes me feel it's suspect as well..  Edited by Skippy Topaz
11/22/2015 07:43 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6370 Posts |
You have a 14-day return policy to back you up, as well as ebay if it indeed is counterfeit. You can't go wrong. |
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Replies: 19 / Views: 4,211 |
Posted 11/21/2015 5:09 pm
