Identifying Fakes

we have one of the most impressive fake experts on this forum, he may know some websites to get you started but if you have something in question all you have to do is post pictures and he can usually tell you within minutes if its fake 9of course once he is on the website and reads the thread)

Too funny. I'm laughing at myself sorry.



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Try this one

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eFakes-L/

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Originally posted by kodji

I suppose I will reply to myself...........I just need some help learning about counterfiet or fake coins so I will not get ripped off. Someone please help me with some helpful websites so I can learn?

Thank you all

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Here's a duplicate of the post I made an hour and a half ago about this coin at the other place you posted it:

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I took the liberty of correcting the color a little bit:





It's an easy EF - I think your grade is spot-on - but I have to be a little worried about the originality of the surfaces. It almost looks like an older cleaning, beginning to retone.

Easy XF45, if the surfaces are original, $100+ on Heritage and $125-150 on ebay.

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I'm not uncomfortable with the authenticity of this coin, just the surface originality. To answer your original question, there are no dedicated websites like you're looking for - the ability to identify counterfeits of a specific issue requires years of experience, and doesn't lend itself to easy explanation in print.

Your best bet, as Bryan explained, is to post pics and let the general membership weigh in. There are people here who have specific knowledge on just about any series.

quote:

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Originally posted by kodji

SuperDave,

Thank you so much! The recolor of the orininal color is right on the coin. On the original coin I can maybe see some cleaning on the front somewhere along the line. The back still looks fairly good. I am so glad I am learning fairly quickly. With some expense along the way of course. :) I will be glad to post any item I might be interested in for future viewers to see and opinionate on. This is how I am learning (and hopefully others) best!
Great job again on the recolor.......what did you use (as far as software? Paint Shop Pro, Adobe......?

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I am honestly surprised that this coin isn't worth more - it is pretty difficult to find an unmolested, or even lightly-molested, Bustie in XF. I'm slowly building a collection in VF, and this lack of good-looking coins in XF-AU is one reason why I settled where I did. Grab coins like this whenever you can - the collector base of Bust Halves is growing, and as a result demand will be seeping down into the lower grades over the next few years. I anticipate pretty strong growth in XF-AU for this type in the future.

To get your coin back to original, I used Photoshop. All it took was application of Auto Levels (I use that mostly to reduce the overall saturation, but sometimes it guesses the background color correctly and does the whole job itself), and then I almost completely backed off the saturation of the Reds in Adjust Hue/Saturation. That, and knowing what it *should* look like under that light, so what I posted was more hopeful than precise. If my result is faithful to the actual coin, then you've got one to be happy with.