Article: The Disturbing Rise Of IHC Counterfeits

One option may be to have TPG laser an ID number on the edge of a coin. I know this may impair the coins value or result in a damaged coin, but it's worth a thought. They do it with diamonds. It's essentially microscopic and allows identification of the stone, size, color etc. I'm going to start reading up on IHCs as that's the area I want to focus on. I'll need to pick up some more books. I guess the first step in solving the problem is making collectors aware of the problem.

In terms of what the TPG's should do, why don't they put tamper proof, thick tape of some kind that has a radio signal alerting the particular TPG, that the seal has been broke. that holder is no longer legitimate....I don't know, just brainstorming.
Better yet, a glue.

Coinstar, keep in mind, it is only lucrative for these counterfeiters to make key dates and semi key dates.
1866-1872
1877
1908S
1909S
These would be the main, non-variety coins.

Yours should be genuine in those grades.

Eye opening thread here. I bet vermontensium's list of probably counterfeits is right, but I would add the 1864-L, as well as the 1859 with shield. Fortunately, die characteristics for at least the 1877, 1908S and 1909S are known well. I'll also add that the only fakes should be higher grades, where die characteristics and flaws in the fakes should be easy to spot if you're looking for them. I have no doubt that Rick Snow, the Penny Lady, and many others will put this information into the public domain as soon as they can - when they have it, to protect us and the hobby. It really stinks for new collectors though.

Just bought an 1863 on ebay which I thought was a reasonable deal (ngc au58 for under $50). Now I know why. I'm guessing many buyers are second guessing every graded IHC out there. I bought it for a major type collection. Don't really know enough about the series specifically. Guess I'll have to give it a real close look once I get it, maybe post a few pictures.

Or a well struck business strike.

The stand on edge trick really only works on those coins that were struck with an oen collar. They have a rounded over edge and will not stand on edge. Any coin struckin a collar may or may not stand on edge depending on ow well struck the coin is and how fully the edge/rim struck up. This hold true for the reeded edged coins as well. On the other hand most of todays counterfeits are better struck up on the edge/rim and often have sharp squared edges similar to proof coins. That was probably the tip off on this counterfeit.

RIF chips and such for the slabs have been discussed before. The problem is if the chip can broadcast and be read, it can also be copied and another chip programed to broadcast the same signal.



Don't you believe that. It probably costs the counterfeiters less than 50 cents apiece to make their counterfeits. At that rate just how expensive does a coin have to be to make it "lucrative"? At that rate even a common date in AU is a good return on their investment. In MS even better. And the common dates are much less likely to be closely scrutinized, so they are easier to pass and low enough in value that they are not usually worth slabbing..

I understand that point of course but, from what coinstar was referring to, I am guessing, are AG-VG common coins. Why would a counterfeiter make a common date counterfeit of those, in those particular grades. That's what I was getting at. Now, the keys, in low grades, that's another story.
Take an 1878 for example, not a rare IHC, but under conder101's point, in MS grades, $$$.