1878-CC Trade Dollar for sale...too good to be true?

[ClonedSIM]

Honestly, I would hope that there were still honest people out there, but this ad just smacks of a scam.

little girl - awwwwww.....

Found near a school for the deaf and her teacher let her keep it - implying that the little girl herself was deaf....awwwww.....

to buy a gift for her grandfather - awwwww....

Proceed with caution, my friend! But I hope it's the real deal!

 

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[Kiros32]

Honestly, I would hope that there were still honest people out there, but this ad just smacks of a scam.

little girl - awwwwww.....

Found near a school for the deaf and her teacher let her keep it - implying that the little girl herself was deaf....awwwww.....

to buy a gift for her grandfather - awwwww....

Proceed with caution, my friend! But I hope it's the real deal!

My thoughts exactly

 

[l.cutler]

Trade dollars, and cc trade dollars in particular, are the most commonly counterfeited coins today. China is the source of most of these, ebay is full of them. Legally made copies are supposed to be clearly marked, but these are counterfeits, plain and simple.

 

[stefen]

Red flags all over the place.

1. Little girl...playing on your sympathy
2. Gift for grandfather...who's going to question a little girl
3. Most commonly counterfeited coins
4. A lot to pay if stiffed
5. A good buy if real

When in doubt...walk away...fast

 

[mistergee]

like my dad always says..."if it sounds too good to be true...it usually is"....tread softly friend...this one has too many flags...

 

[springcypress]

I'm about 95% sure this is a fake. Look at your reverse and then compare it to a known good reverse like this one (albeit from P)...
Real Reverse

Your Reverse



Couple of points to look at
The feathers on the arrows - what's visible and where it's visible
The leaves under the right wing - skinny or not skinny
Detail of head and beak - also look at the thickness of the head

I'm willing to bet that this is a Chinese counterfeit. It's the head detail which makes me think this, for some reason I haven't seen a Chinese counterfeit yet where details were exagerated in eyes / mouths / lips

Also to me this doesn't look like a dug coin.

Here's a link which should send chills down your spine...
http://coins.about.com/od/worldcoins/ig/Chinese-Counterfeiting-Ring/

 

[Mackaydon]

You asked about the law regarding replicas.
From a portion of the Hobby Protection Act:

"Sec. 304.6 Marking requirements for imitation numismatic items.

(a) An imitation numismatic item which is manufactured in the United States, or imported into the United States for introduction into or distribution in commerce, shall be plainly and permanently marked "COPY".
(b) The word "COPY" shall be marked upon the item legibly, conspicuously, and nondeceptively, and in accordance with the further requirements of these regulations.
(1) The word "COPY" shall appear in capital letters, in the English language.
(2) The word "COPY" shall be marked on either the obverse or the reverse surface of the item. It shall not be marked on the edge of the item."
You can find the entire Act here, including more requirements for replica coins: http://collectors.org/Library/Hobby_Protection_Act.asp
Don........

 

[Kiros32]

Well he sold it to a guy for $65 after I told him I wasn't interested unless he would let me take it to have it authenticated. I think this guy is a crook and just made about $60 on a counterfeit coin.

 

[Mackaydon]

You also asked: "If it isn't stamped "COPY" does it mean its real?" I think now you already know the answer. A coin stamped COPY is not an original; a coin without COPY could be a replica. The intended sale in the USA of any known replica coin--foreign or domestic--without the incursed word COPY is a violation of the Hobby Act.
Don.....

 

[Kiros32]

You also asked: "If it isn't stamped "COPY" does it mean its real?" I think now you already know the answer. A coin stamped copy is not an original; a coin without COPY could be a replica. The intended sale in the USA of any known replica coin--foreign or domestic--without the incursed word COPY is a violation of the Hobby Act.
Don.....

Thanks for the info Don

 

[djui5]

The dead giveaways are the 8 is too big, and the wear points are very weird. Coins don't wear like that.

 

[jeff of pa]

Well he sold it to a guy for $65 after I told him I wasn't interested unless he would let me take it to have it authenticated. I think this guy is a crook and just made about $60 on a counterfeit coin.

Odds are he didn't sell it.
But used that Excuse to Explain Why You couldn't
Get it Authenticated.

 

[Monty]

I'm no coin expert but I can tell it's a fake just by comparing it to the pic of the real one. Monty

 

[hyperion]

It's a cast replica. This is obvious from the denticles that fade in and out. A genuine coin has uniform denticles.

Does it have to say copy? The U.S. Hobby Protection Act says it does to be legal to possess in the U.S. They are readily available on EBay from Chinese sellers who will ask if you want it stamped before it's shipped. Actual value of this piece is about $2

 

[utah hunter]

I would bet my house that it is a fake, and yes, I have a nice house.

China has no laws about counterfeiting foreign coins. They actually stamp these on a real die press, and they make them out silver. I had one that one coin dealer thought was fake, and another dealer thought it was genuine. ANACS confirmed it was a counterfeit. I got my money back on that one because I dealt with a person I had dealt with before. I would NEVER but an uncertified trade dollar again.

The reason they come from China and the focus is on trade dollars is simple. Trade dollars are called trade dollars because they were made to use in trade with other countries, especially China. They are trying to fool americans into thinking they had a coin passed down in a relatives collection, and that they don't know they actually have an expensive coin. Americans think they are ripping of the chinese seller, but it is the other way around.

These do typically look very good to a normal collector, and can even be the exact right weight as mine was.

 

[fortbball9]

Be careful of the negatives on E-BAY there was a guy on their that sold a complete set of Lincolns,a 1942/1 merc dime (MS63) and a 1916-d merc dime (MS63).All of them was fake because a person that knows anything about coins if you can get them certified (graded) you can get alot more money esp. MS63 coins.And all of these coins sold and then feedback NEGATIVE was left I wouldn't buy a rare coin off E-BAY unless certified (graded).But that is the way that i feel.

fortbball9