Another fake slab

PrinceIto

This time it's the Sun Yat-sen "crying man" variety commemorating his brief experimental career as a musician.

Feel free to caption this coin.

Ebay

lordmarcovan

They didn't quite get the font right, but it's getting scary, ain't it?

Hussulo

Winning bid = US $920.00
I feel sorry for someone.

savoyspecial

why would they put 'cleaned' on the label if this is fake.....please note that i'm not saying that this isnt a fake slab, because i believe it is based on the type font......my question is more on why wouldnt you (as a counterfeiter) max out your profit potential and sell it as the highest possible MS grade you could with no problems listed

g

lordmarcovan

Maybe by putting "cleaned" on it, it acts as a smokescreen, because most folks would ask precisely that question: why would a person making a counterfeit slab do one of a problem slab?

But the real reason just came to me. You see, ANACS adopted new holders not long ago. Coins that are problem free are slabbed in the new capsules, which are entirely different from these. Only problem coins go into small capsules like this. So if this is indeed a fake slab, it is apparent that the counterfeiter knows how to replicate the small ANACS capsule but has not yet tackled the new capsule yet. And he knows that ANACS only uses this type of holder for problem coins.

If it's a fake slab, it's fiendishly clever.

I do not really know for sure one way or the other, but the font doesn't look right on the label, as I mentioned before.

ajaan

Doesn't look fake to me. Here is another ANACS problem slab for comparison.

crito

Yeah, the font gives it away, kind of like the nose on the CIA's Bin Laden impersonator.

TwoKopeiki

No barcode on their slab. Also, check out the "9"s - authentic ones have a "round tail", while the one in the auction has a straight one. The opposite is true for "7"s - ANACS label Don posted has a straight 7, while the one in the auction is a curved one. Their "N"s are much "thinner" than ANACS, as well.

Side-by-side:

lordmarcovan

The thinner letters are what keyed me in.

I didn't even notice the lack of a barcode.

Aethelred

IMO this is a serious issue that, left unchecked will have an impact on the value of genuine slabs on eBay and perhaps beyond.

I knew it was only a matter of time, in fact I am suprised it took them this long.

CIVITAS

It would also appear that the "hologram" on the back of this knockoff is just a sticker with metallic ink.

Bailathacl

Wonder what the TPGs will do in light of this problem. It seems they have a lot to lose if they can't kill this in the cradle.

Hussulo

Found this coin listed in an NACS slab it to hasn't got a barcode but the coin looks ok.
Link to coin

Hussulo

Heres another ANACS graded coin without a barcode.
Link to coin
So maybe the barcode isn't a dead cert giveaway, unless the two I have posted are also fake?, but the 9's are still wrong.

wybrit

It won't be long before the fake slabs become virtually undetectable except in hand. It might be worth asking the question over on the Q&A forum as to how PCGS, for example, plans to combat this threat.

MrEureka

It's about time people learned to look at the slab closely before buying the coin. How else can you be sure you're getting what you paid for?

Cgb

The lack of bar code makes it look bad to me.