-_- Antique shop/flea market booths- Fake Fake Fake
CRH4LIFE
Posts: 849 ✭✭✭✭
I recently went to a antique shop and gave a few booths a browse to look at the usual over priced stuff. Out of the lot I ran into a booth with just 3 coin's #1 1804 draped bust half cent that was not labeled as such so I gave it a look and 2 1888 CC Morgan's .. LOL So I asked for some help at the booth and when my help arrived I informed her that the 2 Morgan's were indeed counterfeit or at least the CC mm was. She told me they were not so I asked for the owner of that booth's number to contact her and let her know(wether she knew or not I have no idea) I left her a voicemail to let her know what she had. Never heard back and came back a few day's later to purchase a few whorehouse token's and the items in that booth were gone. Turn's out a man cam in and bought both morgan's a hour before I got there and paid $60 a pop for each if I am not mistaken 
sorry for not taking any pics but thought I would share this little event with everyone. To my knowledge it is not illegal to sell counterfeit coin's if the party selling is unaware but to me it is all very shady.
Comments
Sad! Really is when someone wont at least get a second opinion when a customer says there fake instead of just leaving them for sale
HAPPY COLLECTING
A bad day all around as all brothel and "whorehouse" tokens are modern fantasies.
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I'll bet they knew they were fake.
RE: "To my knowledge it is not illegal to sell counterfeit coin's if the party selling is unaware..."
Your knowledge is incorrect. Counterfeit coins are illegal from the instant made, and title cannot pass. Ignorance of it being counterfeit does not change the law, although prosecutors would probably consider the seller an innocent victim.
Why would the owner/seller take a customers word that there fake?
You kind of have to consider just how paranoid you are when you think someone is trying to rip you off. [Feel free to peruse the thousands of posts on this site about dealers ripping people off or people ripping dealers off.]
If you aren't a very trusting soul by nature, your first reaction to someone telling you that the coin is a fake is that THEY are trying to rip you off. As a sometimes dealer, I can tell you that the majority of the time when I tell someone that the coins they are trying to sell me are fakes the reaction is disbelief, sometimes anger.
True story. Although these weren't fakes: I once had a guy with about 30 bust halves. He thought they were Uncs. I explained they were AU cleaned and showed him. I made a solid offer based on that grade. He got mad, was insulted, scooped up the coins and stormed out. He sent them to PCGS who returned them as AU details, cleaned. [I found out through another dealer.] I am still awaiting my apology.
Another story. This time with fakes. Country coin auction. Fake 1909-SVDB present. Also a weak D 1922 Lincoln labeled as a no D. Guy next to me starts running up the SVDB. I whisper to him that it's a fake. He glares at me. Keeps bidding. Wins the coin and then holds it out to me and says, "there's 500 bucks!" He later showed it to a dealer friend who submitted it for him to a TPGS who sent it back as fake. He ended up suing the auction house. But, again, I never got an apology.
I've also tried quietly mentioning it to the auctioneer - who generally does nothing.
As a result, the only time I tell anyone that a coin is fake is if they are trying to sell it to me. I saw a fake 1916-D Merc sell at a recent country coin auction. I sat on my hands and said nothing. "Mind your business" as Franklin would say.
I hear you. I understand. Generally, I would agree. BUT.....many years ago, I was driving with Mrs. Hydrant through Ohio. So many antique / flea market shops along the highway. She just had to stop and check them out. Mostly balls of twine and soda - pop bottles from way back. But in one of them I scored. A complete Roosevelt dime set with all the coins in high grade AND a Mercury dime set complete with everything except the 16-D. I bought both sets for under melt. You never know. Some times it pays to listen to the Little Lady!!!!!
Thank you for clearing that up!
I could not tell you. I simply just eanted to put the info in her ear. > @WillieBoyd2 said:
Well I learn something new everyday! Thank's
Gotta get a win in there some time!
If you're not totally positive a coin is counterfeit, best to keep it to yourself.
"Interest rates, the price of money, are the most important market. And, perversely, they’re the market that’s most manipulated by the Fed." - Doug Casey
Great read! I am sure there is a lot of this going on, I just wanted to inform the owner so hopefully some poor guy/gal did not pick them up. On the other hand I will pick up on your advice and more then likely say nothing unless it directly involves me!
I will approach these situations more carefully next time. But agreed! Although they did not have any 88 cc Morgan's right?
Let's see if they come up for auction on eBay.
Sounds like a day on ebay. Guessing we are about 50/50 authentic to Russian, north Korean, Chinese counterfiets
I have learned calling someone's coin a counterfeit is like calling their baby ugly; it is in many instances really the way it is approached...
As far as selling a counterfeit I can say that a recent conversation in regards to the topic with the Secret Service in DC is it becomes a matter of proving CRIMINAL INTENT- most likely someone unknowingly selling a fake will not meet that requirement.
I have learned that telling someone their coin is counterfeit or even one that is not of significant value (it is old, therefore valuable right?)...is risky business. People hate to hear that type of thing... One fellow, where I used to work, showed me a couple of TV purchased coins that he said were worth thousands.... I explained to him that they were not and even showed him the Redbook...He left in a huff, never spoke to me again. His pride was severely damaged and he blamed me.... Oh well... Cheers, RickO
How can one tell if a counterfeit coin is from China or Korea?
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If it comes in cabbage leaves it's from Korea.:)
That’s par for the course. There are diamonds in the rough at these sometimes coupled with stuff to avoid.
Buyer beware. That counterfeits find there way to these for the greedy / unsuspecting is no surprise. The owner did not cuss you out and tell you quit meddling in their business? I am sure the sales person was trained put questionable material out of sight with any inkling of serious questioning (LE, etc).
The country auctions here always have fakes, and the auctioneer is almost always in on it. There's a small group of vest pocket dealers that work with all the auctions seeding in counterfeits, processed, repaired, etc. so people can score "bargains". If there are nice coins that are actual consignments, the auctioneers will "fast hammer" stuff to their shills if they don't get what they want for them.
Just do not carry a big, powerful magnet -- you;ll attract more than attention.
One of the worst mistakes a man can make is trying to save people from themselves.
Kind regards,
George