Counterfeit Maples & Engelhard Prospectors...

Meltdown · April 16, 2012 10:30AM

I know I've read about these here on the boards, so I wasn't completely shocked but I got a really good first person education this weekendat my favorite shop. The owner there took in a 20ct roll of Maples & 20 "proof" engelhard rounds.

He's now got them on display and is handing out photo copied flyers to everyone who walks in.
The police & FBI are on the case... with at least two different folks trying to pass them around shops in town.

nibanny · April 16, 2012 10:40AM

Thanks goodness I have my iphone and can flip it upside down!
Joking aside (but please rotate the pics

), thanks for sharing! Some people may have missed the other thread.

edited to add: the Maple looks pretty good. There is not such a thing like a proof Prospector, right?

Meltdown · April 16, 2012 10:52AM

<< Thanks goodness I have my iphone and can flip it upside down!
Joking aside (but please rotate the pics

), thanks for sharing! Some people may have missed the other thread.

edited to add: the Maple looks pretty good. There is not such a thing like a proof Prospector, right? >>

I'm viewing the photo's "right side up" - Not sure why you are not....

But you're right... there are no proof Prospectors.

nibanny · April 16, 2012 10:56AM

<< 
I'm viewing the photo's "right side up" - Not sure why you are not....

>>

Weird, it must be my iphone! I checked on my laptop and they are fine.

So, did you get to see the counterfeit ones? How are they?

Meltdown · April 16, 2012 11:01AM

They look really good. The Prospectors are perfect looking - except they did not make proofs.

The Maple leaves, once you know what to look for, are lacking in quite a bit of leaf detail - but the font style is really close to the originals.

nibanny · April 16, 2012 11:04AM

<< They look really good. >>

Too bad! Again, thanks for sharing.

Justacommeman · April 16, 2012 11:22AM

What are made out of?

MJ

Meltdown · April 16, 2012 11:27AM

<< What are made out of?

MJ >>

We're still waiting to hear. He was sending them to triple A smelters this week. They all weighed just a little heavy.

nibanny · April 16, 2012 11:31AM

From one of the previous threads, they should be plated and a little ticker than the original.
It would be interesting to have all the dimensions.

Please Meltdown, report back when they find out the composition.

Weiss · April 16, 2012 11:32AM

So most of us would probably think these are suspicious.

But for me, it's primarily the prospector. And that's because it's proof.

Wonder how obvious they'd be if they were unc. Wonder if some are already out there...

Justacommeman · April 16, 2012 11:34AM

Thanks for the thread Brian. Stellar. MJ

Timbuk3 · April 16, 2012 11:53AM

Thanks for the heads-up !!!

pakasmom · April 16, 2012 12:26PM

Damn! Thanks Brian....

vibr0nic · April 16, 2012 3:08PM

Any word about the silver content of these fakes?

Pokermandude · April 16, 2012 3:17PM

I'd be very interested to hear what their weights and dimensions are.

tonedase · April 16, 2012 7:43PM

Hey Brian.. a heads up catch that nay save the rest of us some cash...thanks

CaptHenway · April 16, 2012 10:01PM

Those have been discussed in this Australian site:

silverstackers linky

which I have previously linked on here.

DrBuster · April 16, 2012 10:34PM

I see those prospectors on the craigslist here in Atlanta like that once in a while.

We've brought the maples up before recently as they're fairly new. And I thought some folks were asking if we could get a counterfeit sticky thread we could add to as well with all the info we have and get coming in. Wouldn't mind seeing that one up top....Navin, calling Navin!

Barndog · April 16, 2012 10:55PM

counterfeiters are making it tougher on dealers, collectors, stackers! I recall reading a while ago about the fake Prospectors, so I generally avoid them now.

rawteam1 · April 17, 2012 12:23AM

there are proof/prooflike engelhard prospectors, they r very rare to find...

but they r around...

Meltdown · April 17, 2012 6:03AM

I stopped by today and got the dimensions on these pieces.

The maple leaves varied in weight slightly, some weighing a tad heavy and some coming in light.
3 out of the 4 I weighed came in at .995
The width was 37.78 mm and the height was 3.24 mm.

The engelhard rounds were .975 in weight and measured 38.75mm wide and 3.13mm tall.

yellowkid · April 17, 2012 10:28AM

Thanks for this!!

mkman123 · April 17, 2012 3:37PM

they look so real

rawteam1 · April 18, 2012 2:34AM

here r the pics of the former extinct proof prospectors...

OnlyGoldIsMoney · June 21, 2012 12:41PM

More fake 1984 Prospectors are showing up on ebay. Reported by ebay does nothing.

Fake Prooflike 1984 Prospector on Ebay

nibanny · June 21, 2012 12:58PM

<< More fake 1984 Prospectors are showing up on ebay. Reported by ebay does nothing.

Fake Prooflike 1984 Prospector on Ebay >>

That's unfortunate but at that price it won't sell.

morgansforever · June 22, 2012 6:50AM

Scary shat, those things look very legitimate.
Thanks for pointing this out, is anything real anymore?

OPA · June 22, 2012 7:07AM

The "proof" prospector bars have been around for a while along with the proof "American Flag" bars. Both are silver plated knock-off's.

Wingsrule · June 22, 2012 7:46AM

I believe it has been pointed out here before, but notice the (lack of) a right thumb overlapping the pan in the ebay item.

OnlyGoldIsMoney · June 22, 2012 8:28AM

<< I believe it has been pointed out here before, but notice the (lack of) a right thumb overlapping the pan in the ebay item. >>

The incomplete circle on the reverse is another good field mark.

I told the seller it was fake. He responded by asking for a link to information about fakes and then said the weight was correct. Now I see the auction ended without a sale.

You just don't know if the sellers were themselves duped or not. One other seller with the same fakes tried to assure me the were purchased from Apmex.

Counterfeit Maples &amp; Engelhard Prospectors...

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Counterfeit Maples & Engelhard Prospectors...