UMMMM.......this showed up at my door this morning.

Doogy

I picked up a nice looking (in the pics anyway) GB Crown from a UK seller with perfect feedback, quick response to questions and a 7 day return policy. With what i felt like was little to lose, I took a chance. Shipping was super quick to the US, but upon opening I noticed it was too "white", didn't appear to be silver and looking at the coin edge revealed this:









the above pics look like this is a Chinese made cast coin, made from a dubious metal. The metal globbing up and flowing between the coin edges/serrations lead me to believe this. Do you agree with what i'm seeing?

Also, the edges of the coin and certain aspects of it don't have the nicely chiseled look to them that a real UNC Crown has, the details look soft. (it would also appear to have been whizzed, or at least wiped in the fields)


If i'm correct in my assessment that this coin is a fake, has anyone else seen many of this type? I know the Chinese and North Koreans have been churning out sacks of fake US Trade Dollars, US Gold pieces and rare Morgan dates for years now. Are they getting into the GB market now too?

thanks for your input!
Doug

CIVITAS

Something doesn't look quite right. What does it weigh? If you drop it on a wooden table, does it have a good ring to it, or does it just make kind of a dull thud sound?

Doogy

Josh,

it has a nice ring sound to it when dropped on a wood table, which should mean silver? i'm not quite convinced it is silver however, as it doesn't look right it it's hue

jhusman

I have some Chinese fakes that pass the ring test as well. That one, unfortunately, is no longer a good test.

the reeding would be the dead giveaway for me.

Doogy

<< <i>I have some Chinese fakes that pass the ring test as well. That one, unfortunately, is no longer a good test.

the reeding would be the dead giveaway for me. >>



thanks, good to know on the 'ring test'! yeah, i agree on the reeding. I worked a summer in an iron foundry in high school (talk about hot, dirty work! whew!). Anyway, iron and other metals tend to flow out of a mold when it is not made correctly. this looks like the metal had a bad mold and kinda' flowed together, making me think it was cast.

Doogy

here is a real 1887 Crown, a picture i recently took for Wybrit when he confirmed that it was a business strike and not a proof. as you can see by the reeding, it is far better done and much more pronounced with no "flow" of the metal between them

Weiss

Wow. If that's a cast copy they're getting pretty damn good.

Devil's advocate here, but is it possible it was mounted? Jewelry or something?

coinpictures

What does it weigh? It's listed in Krause at 28.2759 grams...

Doogy

<< <i>Wow. If that's a cast copy they're getting pretty damn good.

Devil's advocate here, but is it possible it was mounted? Jewelry or something? >>



yeah, they are good all right. i've read articles in Coin World and others that one of the ways to tell US vintage gold from Chinese copies is the serif on the letters and such. Subtle ways. This one tends also to have weak details on certain areas of the bust, etc that tend to lead me believe it is a cast copy too. i don't however, see any signs of mounting though. thanks for your idea!

IloiloKano

Depending upon how much you believe the trouble is worth, as compared to having a coin that will always in your mind be doubtful, I believe I would contact the seller via email, with the images attached, and your assessment that you believe the coin may be a cast copy. However, I would stress my belief was that he had been taken, not that he was passing off counterfeit as genuine. Based upon your statement about his feedback, return policy and quick response, I would lean towards believing he would cheerfully accept the item for return.

Even without the globbing and flowing, the reeding does not appear even.

Semper Fi

wybrit

Devil's advocate here, but is it possible it was mounted? Jewelry or something?

I think you may have something there. It may have been mounted under some pressure as well.

Neglecting the reeding, the coin looks pretty decent to me. Unless they have really improved their processes, the head looks very well defined where it should be.

Doogy

<< <i>Depending upon how much you believe the trouble is worth, as compared to having a coin that will always in your mind be doubtful, I believe I would contact the seller via email, with the images attached, and your assessment that you believe the coin may be a cast copy. However, I would stress my belief was that he had been taken, not that he was passing off counterfeit as genuine. Based upon your statement about his feedback, return policy and quick response, I would lean towards believing he would cheerfully accept the item for return.

Even without the globbing and flowing, the reeding does not appear even.

Semper Fi >>



hey Semper Fi!

thanks for weighing in. I sincerely believe that he didn't know the difference, his feedback indicates a lot of happy world coin sales, and the auctions and coins looked quite legit. I think he may have gotten taken too, having picked it up at a flea market or something. Anyway, i'll contact him and arrange to send it back. thanks!

Doug

Doogy

<< <i>Devil's advocate here, but is it possible it was mounted? Jewelry or something?

I think you may have something there. It may have been mounted under some pressure as well.

Neglecting the reeding, the coin looks pretty decent to me. Unless they have really improved their processes, the head looks very well defined where it should be. >>



thanks! it may indeed have been mounted. i'm guessing the globbing in the reeding could also be solder as well, as opposed to metal overflow from being cast (if it is fake). thanks Wybrit!

Doug

samwyi

One problem of buying coins on line is that you can not see the edge. I really hope one day we can have an edge imaging device.