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 Replies: 20 / Views: 4,363 |
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Valued Member
United States
213 Posts |
Has China no shame? Is anyone teaching morals in China? U.S. Customs agents at O'Hare International Airport continue to seize counterfeit goods sent over from China -- this time more than 350 forged rare antique U.S. coins. Agents spotted something strange when X-raying a heavy package shipped from China and found 361 coins that appeared to be U.S. Trade dollar coins, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents announced Thursday. The coins that were pressed with dates ranging from 1873 to 1878 could have sold for as much as $2,000 a piece if real, according to U.S. Custom's research. The intended recipient had planned on selling the coins over the Internet, and contacted Customs and Border Protection agents when he or she did not receive the shipment, authorities said. A laboratory test later revealed the coins were made of brass with a thin, silver-plated coating, according to the agency. "Legitimate traders are being duped into buying these coins believing they are genuine," said David Murphy, CBP Director of Field Operations in Chicago. Since the beginning of the year, agents at O'Hare have seized more than 1,700 false drivers licenses that were shipped from China. The agency said the high volume of seizures had been unprecedented and the IDs addressed to college students across the country were "high quality" counterfeits. The Danester |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
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Has China no shame? Is anyone teaching morals in China? OK first of all, don't blame everything on China. There are plenty of moral collectors in China who are facing the same problem of rampant counterfeiting. It's damaging to their side of the hobby as well, and they are also trying to stop it. Every year the Chinese government destroys millions of dollars worth of counterfeit goods, but it still doesn't stop it because counterfeiting will always be counterfeiting. Yes, a few bad apples are spoiling the bunch, but don't that completely blind you. And don't make generalizations. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
I say, let there be no buyers, and the counterfeiting will stop. People on both sides of the transaction are at equal fault here.
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Valued Member
United States
314 Posts |
WD1040 is correct. Without the unscrupulous people on our side looking to rip people off, the market would be thinner for the counterfeits in the first place.
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Moderator
 Australia
16830 Posts |
It is not illegal to make fake US coins in China. Is is, however, illegal to import them into the US when they're not stamped "COPY". Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Valued Member
 United States
213 Posts |
OK, I agree about "People on both sides of the transaction are at equal fault here". We know it's the Chinese making the counterfeits, but who's the connection here? We need to investigate this.
The point I'm making is its not the Germans, not the English, not the Russians, not the Italians, not the Japanese, not the Swedes etc. It's always the Chinese doing stuff like this. They are so used to watching what's selling, producing a "Knock-off", shipping and selling it, that they don't know when the lines has been crossed between aggressive business practices and a criminal operation.
We need I guy like Donald Trump on this side of the Pacific to put the squeeze on "these guys". Our area of Numismatics is just one of many American markets the Chinese are trying to criminally rob with their counterfeits. The Chinese government is only doing token enforcement of the illegal activities of their manufacturing base - most of the time the Chinese government looks the other way. Our agents are finding this stuff, not Chinese agents.
The Danester
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
I am sure they are investigating the person who contacted them wanting to know where his shipment was. He may be in a world of trouble if they can prove he has done this before also (which I am betting this isn't the first time). It will take more money to get him out of trouble then he made off the sales of counterfeit coins if they can pin that on him and also contact some of his buyers, with them also taking charges out on him.
About it being mostly China, well just look how everything has moved to China to make products that were made here in the USA. They know how the real thing is made and they have the equipment to make it so they counterfeit the real deal. If it is made here in the USA they just buy one and reverse engineer it to see how its made, you have to admit they are a smart bunch over there
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Valued Member
United States
277 Posts |
Ya we have just as many unscrupulous people in the U.S. as the next country and possibly even more. The post should be labeled can you believe the lengthes someone will go to to make a buck.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1150 Posts |
Since when have communists ever had morals?
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
In this market, for the Chinese, the question of morals or shame does not arise.
If you can copy it, and sell it for a profit, you do so. That's it. Nothing to do with morals.
The points that Sap makes are, of course, quite correct, but I think the Chinese couldn't care less.
Do I appear to be cynical? You bet!
It essential that you have to be, to avoid this type of fraud.
We need the CCF to protect ourselves, by warning each other.
So who is importing these fakes into the American market? The Chinese? Americans? Or both?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
870 Posts |
The problem is, our country of 300 million a lot of money for coins, fake or not. A country of over a 1.5 billion has five times the number of good and bad people.
The most significant coin counterfeit artists have not all come from China, but the technology is readily available. The Chinese government is in no real way motivated to crack down - and I'm not saying that in a negative way, they just have their own issues. But, there ya have it.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
During the 1970's to the 1990's a huge number of fakes came out of the Middle East, particularly from Beirut, with concentration mainly on ancient coin forgery. Many excellent examples of forgeries of Greek staters of Philip 11 and Alexander the Great exist in good quality gold.
I keep scratching my head, figuring out why these two types turn up most often in almost 'as struck' condition. If you are going to buy either of these types, it is essential that you get them only from dealers who have the highest reputation, with a resident expert.
I suspect that a lot of them are still undetected.
They also started making fake British sovereigns with slightly more gold than the original ones, mainly for trade.
To stop this, the British Government replied by minting large numbers of sovereigns dated 1925, then started minting current dated sovereigns from 1957 to 1968, using the Gillick bust of Elizabeth 11.
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!
Edited by sel_69l
04/23/2011 06:00 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
594 Posts |
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Since when have communists ever had morals?
They don't. They are the "enemy". China is not going to wage a war on the U.S., that might start WWIII. However, they can destroy our economy, with fakes and Walmarts. Go ahead and pick something up with a "made in" label. I'll bet ya it doesn't say "Made in the U.S.A.". It's getting harder and harder to find that label. I'm surprised the U.S. even allows trade with China. They have done a lot more damage to us via the Korean and Vietnam wars, and in backing the current North Korea, then Cuba ever has. As far as I'm concerned, nothing should be let into the country from China. They say that when you buy illegal drugs, that you are supporting terrorism. But what they don't tell you is everytime you buy something made in China, you are supporting communism. Sorry for ranting but you touched a sore spot. And my Mama taught me not to discuss politics.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
594 Posts |
Quote:
I am sure they are investigating the person who contacted them wanting to know where his shipment was. He may be in a world of trouble if they can prove he has done this before also (which I am betting this isn't the first time). It will take more money to get him out of trouble then he made off the sales of counterfeit coins if they can pin that on him and also contact some of his buyers, with them also taking charges out on him.
And if he/she works at a Chinese embassy, he/she has diplomatic immunity and can't be touched and will continue to do it. |
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Valued Member
United States
271 Posts |
My brother came by from a journey across the US attempting to find gold. Along the way he funded his trip with his huge store of common date Morgan dollar. He did find gold, but very little. He said at a stop in AZ he was approach by a young hispanic boy offering to sell him silver coins. The kid wanted $20 each but eventually settled for 8 coins for $20. They were very nice looking Chinese Trade dollars. They looked right, they weighed right, they almost sounded right. But I was suspect as almost sounding right isn't right enough for me, I know the sound of silver. He took a propane torch to one and the silver peeled away very quickly. Fakes, of course. I carry one in my pocket now as a reference. Even showed it to a few pawn shops and they were all fooled until I told them otherwise. One guy was very upset when I shown him it was fake, he produced 10 he bought only a few weeks ago at $30 each that where identical, and also fake. The fakes are out there and anyone buying any silver coin needs to know how to spot them. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
594 Posts |
Interesting story Chad. Thanks for sharing it.
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Replies: 20 / Views: 4,363 |
Posted 04/22/2011 8:31 pm
