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 Replies: 9 / Views: 2,955 |
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Valued Member
New Zealand
89 Posts |
Hi there - any views on the authenticity or not of this 1913 Russian 1 ruble? These are the only images provided by the seller, sorry they aren't clearer. The seller is rather vague about where he obtained it, which aroused my suspicions. On the other hand, he has a bunch of other coins for sale, none of which appear to be fake (or particularly special). Thanks!   |
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Valued Member
United States
414 Posts |
It's somewhat difficult to tell because of the lack of clarity of the images. Nicholas' face (nose & moustache) seem a bit off but I cant quite tell for sure.
I don't see immediate signs of a forgery. The digits and lettering seem to be correct and in the right format as well as the design around the coin's circumference.
I'd lean on genuine but without better pictures, weight of the coin, and image of edge it's hard to tell for certain.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1915 Posts |
Images are too poor to say. I can say copies of this coin are made and sell for $1.30 and change or $1.60 up to $2.50
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Valued Member
 New Zealand
89 Posts |
Thanks for the tips Cableguy and Albert! If it sells for a low price I might take a gamble and let you know how it goes. Meanwhile I'll study some more pictures of the real thing, with a careful eye to that nose and moustache...
Update: Just had a look at a certain Chinese website. How depressing! Every imaginable coin, this one included, for just over $1...
Edited by pdg
05/02/2019 05:24 am
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Valued Member
New Zealand
89 Posts |
So the seller agreed to post a photo of the edge. Does that make the coin's authenticity, or not, any clearer? It does carry an inscription, but then so do some of the Chinese-made fakes I found online.  |
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Valued Member
United States
414 Posts |
Odd that the seller is ok sending an edge picture but sends only one part of the edge. Also odd is that he cannot provide better images of the OBV and REV... just doesn't sit right with me. What is the seller asking for this? Just wondering if it's worth the headache. I value this coin $75-$100 based on the given condition (real value, not book value). Also, I'd have asked for a weight but it doesn't change my original opinion that the coin appears to be genuine. The edge doesn't show any seams or obvious signs of casting, I don't see tooling marks, the corner of the edge appears proper (sharp vs rounded), and most importantly the inscription is in the right font/format) and has good centering. Here is a sample of an edge of a genuine example I was able to find, you can see the similarities.  |
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
24885 Posts |
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Valued Member
New Zealand
89 Posts |
Thanks Cableguy and Dorado. I checked quite a few photos of Chinese-made fakes, which also have edge lettering but often it is off-centre or rather crude. The only thing that still bugs me is Nicholas' nose - on coins which are definitely genuine it's quite thin and well defined, whereas on this coin it's rather rounded and blobby.
Even if I don't end up bidding or the coin turns out to be fake I've learnt a lot, so it's been worthwhile.
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Valued Member
New Zealand
89 Posts |
Hi again Cableguy - in case you are curious about the outcome: The coin sold for a top bid of NZ$72 (about US$50) on a New Zealand auction site, more than I was willing to gamble given a slight lingering doubt. When it was first listed at NZ$15 there was little interest because the seller hadn't identified it correctly so I was hopeful  So I won't be able to weigh it now for a more definitive answer but it was interesting anyway. Thanks for your help. |
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Valued Member
United States
414 Posts |
Thanks for sharing the final end of this story pdg. $50US doesn't seem terrible for this coin. Are there auction fees on top of this?
At any rate, one always must do what one feels comfortable with. Glad to have helped out.
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Replies: 9 / Views: 2,955 |
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Posted 05/01/2019 5:17 pm
