| Author |
Replies: 31 / Views: 4,339 |
|
|
|
New Member
 United States
8 Posts |
I'm Still here guys. I've been trying to get my hands on a good camera to take closeups. Now I can't figure out how to post pictures. any help is appreciated.
|
|
New Member
 United States
8 Posts |
Hi guys. Sorry it took me a while to figure out how to post picts. I think I figured this out. I'm attaching picts of the front and back of coin and holding it up in front of mirror. I have to admit, this is a pretty good counterfeit coin. I've weighed the coin... 17 grams coin alone. I've compared thickness with other coins... Considerably thinner. What really gives it away....... the thing is magnetic! Thank you all for the info. Hope can all learn a valuable lesson out of this. Any other info to help me out in the future is greatly appreciated.   
|
|
Valued Member
United States
314 Posts |
Oh my gosh!, They're counterfeiting Common Date Morgans like a 1921? I'd like to see close-ups. Looks pretty real from a distance.
|
|
Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
Thanks for the pix and the info. With three obvious mistakes (medal reverse, weight, and magnetic), it's unlikely to fool anyone but an absolute novice. Still, it's scary that they're faking the commonest date dollar. Let's just hope they don't get good at it.
BTW, where did you get these? Flea market, craigslist, auction?
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1080 Posts |
Great idea taking pics with the staples to illustrate which corner is which - GOLD STAR! So 1921 is a common date, and it does look pretty detailed (from the pics). Any chance this is a Magician's coin or locket or something that was created from a real Morgan? Do you see any tiny hairline seams around the rim?
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1547 Posts |
Razor3150, I think that's one cool "coin!" Hey, it doesn't take much to impress me.  Do you think the metallic composition is just steel, or is it steel and silver plated veneer? Also, does it look like one solid piece, or does it look like one side was "fitted into" the other side? Finally, those first two pictures are a great way to show off a rotation. With that layout of the staples it's obvious the "coin" was flipped sideways for the pictures, without the necessity of having to show that off in the mirror. I like that because sometimes trying to do the "mirror thing" gets a little awkward. Anyway, nice going. I'm glad you figured out how to post the pictures for us! Edit - I see specksynder beat me to these questions by a few minutes. I'll get you the next time, specksynder. 
Edited by eddiespin 05/01/2011 09:51 am
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
sorry to hear its a counterfeit because it would have been one heck of a find if it were real
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1547 Posts |
One more thought. If this is a "two-piece job," fitting the interior with steel would explain the magnetism, as well. I'm just thinking, what counterfeiting ring, after having gone to this extreme, would blow the orientation of the sides? That's why I'm leaning towards, this is a " Magician's coin" of some kind, rather than a "counterfeit," strictly-speaking.
|
|
New Member
 United States
8 Posts |
Thanks for all the advice and great questions. To answer the first question by biggfredd, I got these from ebay from an experience seller with an ebay shop established. after emailing what I found out initially (before putting a magnet on them) He swore that these were authentic (Thanks a bunch Coinstar, I never would have thought about the magnet) It's kinda scary to think that an experienced seller doesn't know his own product and selling non-authentic coins. What really scared me is when he said he has sold dozens of them, and hadn't had any complaints. I've held these up to a magnifying glass, and it doesn't appear to be any seams. The ridges around the rim look excellent ans you can see from the mirror pict. All the detailing, the crevices around the ear, hair and eagle feathers are all there. So either someone spent a long time doing this, or maybe it could be a Magician's coin. In all cases, definitely not authentic, (unless the Philadelphia mint ran out of copper and silver and decided to use steel. Highly unlikely.)
|
|
Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
do us a favor, provide the ebay listing #.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
the new coins coming out of China look really good but they stick to a magnet, they do not have any seams and are not magician coins
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1547 Posts |
Quote: the new coins coming out of China look really good but they stick to a magnet, they do not have any seams and are not magician coins So this is a counterfeit mint error? These "coins" also have the correct orientation on the sides, is what I'm saying. Otherwise, how can they reasonably be expected to pass off as counterfeits? That's the factor that has to be explained, here. It could very well be a counterfeit mint error. But, that's what we'd have to call it; right? I think I figured it out. It's a counterfeit Magician's coin! 
|
|
Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
Their local law may not be enforced against fantasy fake, like cc Seated dollars dated before the mint existed (or medal reverse Morgans).
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1388 Posts |
First of all---@ Razor- Good job of spotting it ( (and by "spotting it", I mean that you knew something was different or odd about it) ), you would be surprised how many people wouldn't know how to spot a fake... Does he have a return policy? You can also contact ebay, as it is illegal to sell counterfeits, and portray them as legitimate... Secondly--- This seller needs stopped! Especially if he's sold dozens! If he claims to be an expert, and has his own store of just coins, HE KNOWS these are fake  ... And the sad fact is this is exactly the thing that can harm this precious hobby that we all share. We all would love to know the sellers' site, to keep this from happening again...
Edited by Darth Anarchus 05/02/2011 12:05 pm
|
|
New Member
 United States
8 Posts |
Here's what has transpired within the last several days. I contacted the seller, I explained everything that I found out about the coin. I explained it was underweight, and the eagle was "rotated". I took the coins to a local coin dealer and they said that it was definitely fake. The seller seemed to be willing to cooperate at the beginning. I even gave him the option to give me a full refund or give me two authentic coins. I even said that I would still like to continue doing business with him if we dealt with this in a professional manner. After I found out it was magnetic, I contacted him again (through ebay messages) to tell him that indeed, without a shadow of a doubt, that these ware not authentic coins. I took the coins to another coin dealer so I can get something in writing saying they were not authentic. I was amazed at his response afterwards. He replied back saying I was scamming HIM, and trying to commit fraud against him. UNBVELIEVABLE! So I contacted ebay, and opened up two cases against him. One case got resolves within two days and the other case got resolved two days ago. I have already returned one coin for a full refund. We'll see how everything turns out once the smoke clears. Here's what amases me, Darth Anachus... he's got an ebay score of 100% positive feedbacks with over 800 transactions. I'm willing to think that he didn't know he even had fake coins in his possesion. I questioned to the second coin dealer I went to, "Why would someone go through all the trouble of countefeiting the most popular Morgan? You'd think youd spend your time replicating a rare one? But it makes sense now. If you countefeit a popular one, you can make it for a dollar and throw in the mix with real ones and most people wouldn't think twice to have to examined. But everyone will examin a more rare Morgan if they came accross one. Makes perfect sense. Anyhow, I'd like to give you the Item #'s and the sellers name, but at this point everything is working towards me. ebay has bin very cooperative, I don't want to accuse anyone of fraud. (By the way, to all you ebay buyers. Communicate through ebay, and not personnal email. This is one of those times that ebay will check messages sent back and forth to resolve the issue). Once he gets back his coins, and If I don't get a ful refund, then I'll think about giving you guys all the info. In the meatime I'll keep you updated. Sorry for he short novel, I just needed to vent a bit.
|
| |
Replies: 31 / Views: 4,339 |