faux coins

This worries me a bit- reproduction coins from China-although in the description they say they are copies there is nothing on them to indicate that they are not genuine, and once purchased, can be passed off as being genuine to naive suckers like yours truly.
I have been caught out by a couple of EBAY traders selling British India silver coins (large ones like rupee etc) in the past- the coins are the right weight- correct size and have silver content, but actually look too good.
​https://www.dhgate.com/product/usa-1926-oregon-trail-memorial-half-dollar/396391520.html?recinfo=17,null,1#svh-1-5
they also offer free shipping, and in a lot of cases offer you free credit $10-$20--Maybe why it is better to collect VF- XF coins that show a little circulation wear.
The pictured coins even show areas of toning, so they are not all bright and shiny-- so these guys are getting very good at reproducing the coins- buyer beware I say!!!!!

If you're going after classic US commemorative half dollars, it's probably best to get certified/slabbed/graded ones. Most of the real ones are pretty expensive, so certification is warranted (and expected in the marketplace).

(note: it's interesting how we both have the same post count -- 486)

Quote: "phfoticus"​If you're going after classic US commemorative half dollars, it's probably best to get certified/slabbed/graded ones. Most of the real ones are pretty expensive, so certification is warranted (and expected in the marketplace).
​
​(note: it's interesting how we both have the same post count -- 486)

​yes you are right- slabbing is the answer

Nah mate, slabbing is NOT the answer, learning to grade, attribute and verify your own coins is. You can quite easily find empty PCGS and NGC slabs for sale by the same crooks who are offering fake coins. Slabbed coins offer a false sense of security.

Couldn't agree more though on the question of Chinese knock offs. This crap is the single biggest detriment to our hobby. The misty eyed notion of some poor Chinese tradesman feeding his family by turning out a few skillful fakes on his kitchen table couldn't be further from the truth. It's a big business brothers.

Some years or so ago I provided our local Congressman Bill Young a lot of research into the activities of Chinese counterfeiters in an attempt to update the 1973 Hobby Protection Act - a most useful piece of legislation which has been allowed to fall into disuse in the past decade or so. Although Congressman Young sadly passed before it became law, the 2014 Collectible Coin Protection Act gave new teeth to the old legislation and many crooked dealers are finding out that reselling fake coins isn't a very bright idea.

Of course it only applies to crimes committed in the US so while it's not possible to go after the manufacturers it is very possible to prosecute those who import this poison. There is some hope that the issue of fake coins will be included under the broader subject of copyright theft as President Trump's efforts to address China's predatory trade practices makes progress.

By far the biggest and worst offender is The Big Tree Coin Factory of Fujian Province, China. They produce around 100,000 fakes every month, that's more than the output of legitimate coins from the official mints of many nations. 4 out of every 5 fake coins seized by US Customs originates from China and most of these are from Big Tree's presses. To add insult to injury, the presses are the original ones used by the US mint in the 19th century which were given to the Chinese Government and eventually found their way into the wrong hands. Isn't nation building wonderful?

Ultimately the government can only do so much to protect you, there's plenty of sensible precautions you can take on your own behalf. Let's examine a few together.....

First of all, don't buy coins from suspect sources. I'm sure there are perfectly respectable coin dealers in China, India and other hotbeds of counterfeiting. However, what I see is blatant fakes being offered by hit and run eBay accounts. By refusing to buy from Chinese sellers you can eliminate a huge percentage of the risk.

Get yourself the right tools for the job. At the very minimum you need a set of digital scales and calipers. You can get both for $25, the price of a single average coin. They will very quickly pay for themselves over and over again.

Be wary of free advice (including this!) and learn to build your own skills instead of relying on the pontifications of self appointed coin gurus with the same 50/50 results in spotting fakes as you would get from blind luck. Even genuine, full grown experts can be fooled by the better classes of fakes. A numismatic journalist took several fake US Dollars to a major coin show mixed in with a few genuine examples. After showing them to several prominent dealers the results were not encouraging, they fared little better than you would score if blindfolded and picking random coins.

Don't be greedy. If you see a US Oregon Trail 1/2 dollar on sale for $5, it's a fake. The easiest people to fleece are those types looking to pounce on an incorrectly priced coin before anyone else sees it. I like to think it's Karma.

There's really no better way to gain skills than by handling coins. Lots of collectors have accumulations of fake coins and if you ever get the opportunity to explore them, take it. It really can't be overstated how much value this has, especially if you have the chance to compare fake coins directly alongside known good examples. It won't happen overnight but eventually you will become pleasantly adept.

Baby steps at first. Clueless neophytes, unarmed with even basic equipment and knowledge eagerly buying up high value coins are a counterfeiter's dream. You are quite safe while you're collecting low value coins. In the unlikely event that you do fall victim to a fake you've lost a dollar. It's especially true of modern coins. Contrary to popular belief there are some restriction of manufacturing counterfeits in China. It's illegal to make anything dated later than 1949. It's a pretty self serving law - you can copy everyone else's coins but not those from the PRoC. Cynical huh?

I guess the only other thing you need is luck, so in closing may I wish you all the very best of it.

WOW thankyou for your input aka words of wisdom---It is disappointing to find these faux coins in your collection, and perhaps incorrectly you suspect every nice looking coin with reasonable value of being not real
As you say it is upto myself to learn from my mistakes, but it still hurts and I guess it will be a while before I try buying higher value coins again- but I will try harder
I would hope that these fauxs would not turn up in NUMISTA trade lists, but I guess there may be a few-anyway thankyou for your 2 cents worth and I will take it on board