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 Replies: 54 / Views: 4,603 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2001 Posts |
I've been collecting coins since I was a young boy back in 1967. I love these metal discs for their beauty and history. Back in the 70's there may have been a few occasions where I would run into altered or counterfeit coins but that was usually limited to key date and rare coins. I recall clipping all the articles from Coin World to help me identify the fake coins of those times. I've tried to learn as much as I can about the tell tale characteristics of counterfeit coins. Today there are just so many bogus coins in the marketplace and the counterfeiters are getting better at their trade. Even slabbed coins are sometimes questionable these days. I've been seeing a lot of bogus coins posted on this site lately by unsuspecting buyers. I feel bad for those who got stuck with this garbage. Some are obvious fakes, some are scary good fakes. It is getting to a point where it is almost not fun anymore nor worthwhile in many respects. Newer generation seem to have little interest in the hobby. The Chinese are killing us with this bogus crap and killing the hobby in general. Its at a point now where I must consider everything as bogus until I can prove otherwise. It is sad but I feel that in many respects, the numismatic party is over. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2365 Posts |
I don't think that the party is over for Numismatics. We just need to know our coins!!! Young folks are missing the boat if they see no value in collecting or just aren't interested. I'll never give up.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19110 Posts |
The party rages on for me--at least the part I choose to play in. As noted by many, knowledge is vital.
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Pillar of the Community
 Canada
5391 Posts |
Over..
Hardly , never been better from my
end . That said the education level
sadly lacking .
We see it time and again .neophyte
coin collectors, spending thousands
on coins they know very little about .
Not one of them spent $20 on a book
or numismatic education .
.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4233 Posts |
I share your feelings. My "coin time" yesterday was spent almost entirely with looking at posts of counterfeits or ones that I judged to be fake. It's fun to do the research, especially on coins I don't collect personally, but it gets rather depressing. Part of it too is how many people are so blinded by the idea that they're making a big score monetarily that they don't put any time into educating themselves, and get huffy when you tell them it's fake. Sort of what Pacificoin said.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
608 Posts |
I also share your feelings, but I see a blight future. Technology and AI will give us apps that will scan your coin and identify it as real or fake. Other apps will be able to scan and grade. Third party grading will be a thing of the past.
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Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
17879 Posts |
Personally I think the main danger to our hobby is the relentless striking of pseudo-commemoratives, often in the names of pseudo-countries. Collectors coming into the hobby are relentlessly bombarded with advertising for Solomon Islands, Cook Islands and Tristan da Cunha 'coins' plus the excessive output of the Perth Mint, RCM and Royal Mint. The recent 50p and £5 coins supposedly issued for Pitcairn Island (which has a population of 50 and uses the New Zealand dollar) are the last straw. When collectors who have been 'hooked' by the bait of these coins later try to sell them, they will be in for a nasty surprise! Until a few years ago it was quite a realistic goal for a beginner to acquire and maintain a full set of British or Australian coins since these countries adopted decimal currency: today that is nigh-on impossible. Stamp collecting was ruined years ago by the excessive production of unnecessary stamps made solely to relieve collectors of their money, and I can see coin collecting going the same way. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5818 Posts |
Just leave it to the government to ruin the hobby and business like they did with stamp collecting, once the post office decided to used self adhesive stamps to stop stamps being reused, technology will change collecting in different ways or end it, who knew if stamp collecting may one day become a fad again in another 10 or 20 years.
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Moderator
United States
34393 Posts |
Quote:
I see a blight future. @bill, I'm positive that you meant a "bright" future, but thx for making me chuckle with this autocorrect typo.  "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
375 Posts |
I agree with you. The Royal Mint has the problem that cash is falling out of use and it wants to stay afloat. Some of the other outfits need shutting down. But then, there are some interesting old forgeries about! |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
7933 Posts |
Quote:Personally I think the main danger to our hobby is the relentless striking of pseudo-commemoratives, often in the names of pseudo-countries. Collectors coming into the hobby are relentlessly bombarded with advertising for Solomon Islands, Cook Islands and Tristan da Cunha 'coins' plus the excessive output of the Perth Mint, RCM and Royal Mint. The recent 50p and £5 coins supposedly issued for Pitcairn Island (which has a population of 50 and uses the New Zealand dollar) are the last straw. When collectors who have been 'hooked' by the bait of these coins later try to sell them, they will be in for a nasty surprise! ...  Yes, the risk of counterfeits is an issue, but it will never ruin the hobby for me. After many years away from collecting while raising a family, I have learned and enjoyed numismatics more in the last 5 years than in the previous 30. I agree with the points raised by others on the counterfeit issue: knowledge and attention to how/where you buy are good defenses. I got burned once (the old "if it looks too good to be true...") and took that lesson to heart. |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
The best defense against fakes is experience, but there has come into use a range of very powerful fake detection methods:
Here are just a few:
1 comparison of suspect coins against data bases of known fakes
2 comparative photographic techniques. I make frequent use of Google images
3.accurate weight
4.XRF techniques
5.comparative ping tone testing
6. density testing
7 independently provable provenance
8 specialist public auction records
9 die comparison studies
10.examination of the texture of field surfaces
11 check for circumferential casting seams
12.die cutting style comparisons
13.knowledge of of the various methods of fake coin manufacture
14 knowledge on how fakes come onto the market
15.maintaing a 'black' collection for self education and learning how to detect fakes
16. maintaining a good library on the detection of fake coins.
17. discussions right here, in the CCF.
So don't be despondent about the threat of fake coins
Just educate yourself on how to beat them.
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Valued Member
United States
240 Posts |
for me its just starting, now retired and getting to old to continue to restore cars, motorcycles, 4 wheelers etc, I took up coin collecting to have something to keep my hands and mind busy.
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Moderator
United States
94636 Posts |
I think it is still going strong. I've been collecting ever since I was about 10, (1972 or so)
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
375 Posts |
Yes! sel_691 has it in a nutshell. Well put!
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Moderator
United States
187496 Posts |
Quote:
Is The Joy Of Numismatics Over? Not for me. Not as long as I accept that the hobby is always changing. |
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Replies: 54 / Views: 4,603 |
Posted 05/12/2023 10:54 am
