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What book is currently best counterfeit detector?
BillJones
Posts: 35,978 ✭✭✭✭✭
There have always been some raw counterfeits offered on eBay. That is a given. The scary part now is that we have counterfeits housed in fake PCGS and NGC slabs. That is an attack on the last defense for many collectors who have relied on the grading services to filter out or in very rare instances make good when they were fooled by a bogus coin.
Now it seems that we need to go further. My question is what is the best counterfeit detection guide?
I am looking forward to your responses.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
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no one book tackles 1/2c-$20 far as i know. a major sore spot to all these authors putting out regurgitation.
a post about what books are really needed was made not too long ago.
it will take a few books and/or hundreds of images to tackle 1/2c-$20 detection.
i have a file started available for download with files very well organized. only a few dozen images so far put into it though and none are tpg comps., despite me having a lot of those images.
numerous threads delve down into slabs/inserts, impressively so; one need dig to find them. (a reference thread linking to those threads would be fantastic)
oodles of very effective images can be printed out.
i think the best approach for all usa coins/slabs will be a simple 1, 2, 3 check mark type system.
memorizing/recalling all the crap we have these days takes its toll.
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There is an accompanying video that can be purchased separately.
I agree that there is no single book that is really adequate. During the last 5 years, I have copied images of coins (from various web sites, including dealer inventories and auction catalogs) that I believe are counterfeit or altered. I review them once a year.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
J. P. Martin/Detecting Counterfeit and Altered U.S. Coins [the ANA coursebook]
There is an accompanying video that can be purchased separately.
I agree that there is no single book that is really adequate. During the last 5 years, I have copied images of coins (from various web sites, including dealer inventories and auction catalogs) that I believe are counterfeit or altered. I review them once a year.
I have to agree, the ANA course book and video are very informative. I also like "Numismatic Forgery" by Charles M. Larson. The ANA book goes into the minting process to help you determine what could not be possible on a genuine coin/error, and Numismatic Forgery helps by showing how a well trained forger could do closely duplicate the genuine coins.
I did a counterfeit detection presentation at our Coin Club, and gave out Bill Fizaz's Counterfeit Detection Guide. It doesn't go into a lot of detail, but it is pocket sized, and gives pickup points for Key Date coins so your members could at least carry it to shows to help verify any Key Date coins in holders.
Maybe if your club does a presentations, you could show the ANA video, and hand out the books to go along with it?
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