Phony PCGS holders with expensive Russian "coins" on eBay
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Just happened to come across these while looking for something else. The first one is pretty obvious, but the second one is a little more deceptive. Both PCGS cert #s were formerly featured in a Heritage auction of genuine coins. (Typical M.O. for these counterfeiters).
ebay.com/itm/1-Rouble-1839-Borodino-PCGS-AU55-/192223042675?hash=item2cc162dc73:g:3HMAAOSwRXRZSQxh
4
Comments
Reported.
Here are the photos:
PCGS 13193633 - eBay 192223042675
45 bids to $896.00 with 5h 4m 51s left, offered by alexhoff1985. Sold for $1,142.39 with 46 bids.
Item location: Казань, Республика Татарстан, Russian Federation
PCGS 13600068 - eBay 282540391534
20 bids to $1,000.00 with 12h 6m 48s left, offered by asheles. Sold for $1,000.00 with 20 bids.
Item location: Krasnodar, Russian Federation
Here's the CoinFacts photo:
Yikes, not much of a match even allowing for different photo techniques not to mention the slab/font look (assuming there isn't a generation that actually looks like that). The seller of the top one has feedback from names I recognize, so I'd wonder if s/he was an unaware buyer who is now selling. Then I see the Russian Federation and I get suspicious...which is sad because I'm sure there are plenty of honest people there too (like the good sellers I 'know' in China).
That is not cool. People are definitely getting burned by this.
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Both are dangerous and would trick most collectors if sitting in a case at a show next to real pieces. Not cool indeed. Things like this endanger the whole hobby.
Both sold to buyers that have low bidding activity with the seller.
1 Rouble 1839 Borodino PCGS AU55 - 11% @ $1,142.39
http://www.ebay.com/bfl/viewbids/192223042675?item=192223042675
Russian silver ruble 1834 Nicolas I - 1% @ $1,000.00
http://www.ebay.com/bfl/viewbids/282540391534?item=282540391534
When I used the QR Barcode scanner app on the 1834 PCGS holder, it reads 0091366505967175. This refers to a 1907 High Relief St Gaudens MS-65 cert #05967175:
pcgs.com/cert/05967175
As a safety measure, it is a good idea to read the barcodes on PCGS, NGC, ANACS and ICG holders.
what a bummer
looks like a scan and print
What is a scan and print? Do you mean the insert?