Fake/Replica/Copy Coins

I have a number of replica coins in my possession.
I have tried to sell them on ebay clearly marked as copies but now it is near impossible, it seems that the coins themselves have to be marked/etched with the word copy.
So I just wondered is there another site where I can offload these  replica/copy coins?

Cheers

I believe there are a number of collectors on here who like fakes!

I like fakes if I have a pretty rate/expensive coin that's worn so that it can be placed next to it like my British revolutionary commonwealth ones !

ok thanks
the fake coins i have are
Ghana 1958 10s
Chinese 416.ONE YEN.900.
Cuba 1932 Un Peso
Hong Kong Trade Dollar 1930  x 6
Indo Chine Piastre de Commerce Titre 0.900 Poids 27GR 1806 x 5,1807 x 4,1827 x 9,1888,1895,1925 x 4
USA Seated Dollars 1840 x 2,1843 x 2,1845,1859 x 2,1861,1872
USA Trade Dollars 1874 x 3,1877 x 5,1885

I have photos

Cheers

I will take some in a swap.
Please post pics.

What is a USA seated dollar ?
Also pics please of the Indo Chinese please

first hong kong
second indo chine
third trade dollar
fourth seated dollar



all others are much the same

These coins are banned for a very good reason, those coins look very real, they are made to trick people into thinking they are the real thing and pay full price. Be careful dealing with members who only want to sell fake coins, get the coins before sending payment.

i am selling these to get rid of them
i thought they would be ok for a collector who cannot afford the real thing

I hate to rain on someone else's parade but what is being proposed is illegal.

"The Rules and Regulations under the Hobby Protection Act require that all imitation numismatic and imitation political items sold in, or imported into, the United States be marked with the word “Copy” or the year of manufacture. "

http://www.coinlink.com/Resources/coinage-acts-by-congress/1973-hobby-protection-act/

I understand that you are not trying to pass these off as genuine and no offense is intended however these fake coins are the single biggest problem faced by coin collectors. If the intended buyer truly intends never to try to resell these items as genuine then why are they not manufactured with the word "COPY" clearly stamped on both sides?

The best thing you can do with this junk is to take a hammer to it.

How 'bout sending them to us for free.

i know they are illegal in the usa
but i was asking anybody if they wanted them not just in usa
in uk they are not illegal as long as you inform the buyer that they are copies
i am not trying to make a massive profit i just want to get rid of them for cost price which wasn't a lot

cheers

I'm afraid I must echo pnightingale's misgivings with this issue. They are illegal in the US for a reason and just because they are not illegal in the UK does not make the proposed transaction(s) any the less undesirable. Furthermore, if the trade of these items in the US is illegal then the fact that you are in the US and selling these fakes means you are skirting on the edge of legitimacy. If you sell them on to another Numista member then it may be in good faith and on the understanding from both parties that they are counterfeits. But what is to stop the purchaser in that transaction, or someone to whom he/she later passes on that fake, from later trying to sell the item as the real thing. These pieces of metal should either be destroyed or have 'COPY' clearly stamped on both sides.

i am in uk not us

Trouble is, these coins may be first sold as copy, but thereafter somebody may sold them as genuine since there are no marks on them telling they are fake. And that is dangerous, and there's no fun to pay a heck of a lot of money only to discover that it's a piece of junk. While you may be honnest, the next seller may not be. I am totally against these copies, and I strongly recommand that you do not sell them. You never know how dishonnest may be the next one to put hands on them.

i see what you say but i thought all the members here were honest
there is a pool of coin collectors in ebay who seem to know all copy coins
they are not paid by ebay
because they inform ebay of all doubtful coins
although i feel they have an ulterior motive as some british coins i sold were perfectly real but they told ebay that they were not and unfortunately ebay believe everything they say and withdrew them

There are lots of honest members here, and of course they outnumber the nasty ones, but there are already been dishonest members here, just like there are honest and dishonest people everywhere else. I'm am not saying that the people here who are interested in getting them are dishonest, not at all. But, if they sell their collections, and that someone buys the fake coins knowing they are not genuine, but decide to sell them as genuine, then it's terrible for those who'll be caught and deceived in the process. The one that buys your coins here might be honest, but the one who buys them a few years later from the one whom you sold them to first, might take advantage of the situation, to many collectors' dismay. And even if they were sold as non genuine, since it is not written on them, it's easy to pass them otherwise to somebody else.

It is a simple problem to rectify, go to a hardware store and ask to purchase an alphabetical set of punches and when you come across fake coins you wish to resell honestly as fakes stamp the word COPY into it and maybe also the word FAKE, this way you will be within the law and it prevents a dishonest person from buying them from you and selling them to another person as a genuine coin.

I've never understood the thinking of people who acquire these slugs because they can't afford a coin.

I can't afford a Maserati but I won't be putting a cardboard copy of one in my driveway.

What on earth would you do if you couldn't find a girlfriend.... wait, don't answer that one ;)

I know what you mean Phil. For me there are two reasons for buying fake coins; one is that you enjoy collecting fakes - which I must admit it brightens my day when I receive a fake pound coin in my change, and the second reason is to familiarise yourself with the fakes, to help prevent yourself from being sucked into buying one thinking it's genuine.

As I've said some of my rare coins and some more expensive coins which are worn I may buy a fake to go along side the original just for detailing but other than that I would not be interested.

There certainly are plenty of people who collect fakes, especially the fakes that were created at the same time as the originals.  I got passed off a fake George V silver rupee and a fake George III shilling.  Luckily it's not illegal here to sell fakes and I re-listed them as fakes and I actually got more than I'd paid for them.  I suppose some people don't like having an empty space in their albums so they buy the copy until they can afford the real thing.  It's more like buying a normal car and doing it up with a maserati body kit until they can afford a real one, rather than buying a cardboard maserati.

Citação: Walder CoinsIt is a simple problem to rectify, go to a hardware store and ask to purchase an alphabetical set of punches and when you come across fake coins you wish to resell honestly as fakes stamp the word COPY into it and maybe also the word FAKE, this way you will be within the law and it prevents a dishonest person from buying them from you and selling them to another person as a genuine coin.

 I love that, Well said Walder!

Thank you,

Even the fakes of today will become part of our social history, granted noting to be proud of but still part of it.

Citação: tappaneeI have a number of replica coins in my possession.
I have tried to sell them on ebay clearly marked as copies but now it is near impossible, it seems that the coins themselves have to be marked/etched with the word copy.
So I just wondered is there another site where I can offload these  replica/copy coins?

Cheers

    Hello how are you? You could pass a list of coins and values ​​of sales to my email? I have a special interest in coins of Brazil if you have any. You have Paypal account? thank you
 marcos.olivetti @ gmail.com

hi
if you look at my post 18 july you will see all my fake coins

cheers

Recently I just bought a fake 8 real or Spanish Dollar when I visited St. Augustine Florida.(The package said it was fake) This coin was not incused copy and it was sold INSIDE a US State Park. That surprised me quite a bit. In support of Tappanee though, there is a possibility his goods might be protected under the grandfather clause, considering the Hobby Protection Act was made in 1973 and his replicas could have existed way before this time. Assuming the goods were in the US before this time. Otherwise, importing after the law is technically illegal. I only thought of this because I really want a Henning Nickel. (It was a counterfeit, technically they fall under this category as well) I love the Trade Dollar! Good luck unloading them.

Citação: tappaneehi
if you look at my post 18 july you will see all my fake coins

cheers

Well I saw pictures of the replicas, but have not received any messages with values, or even if it possesses for sale any coin. Are you interested in selling or misunderstood?

Olivetti

yes i am interested in selling all

Citação: tappaneeyes i am interested in selling all

Por favor envie os preços para meu email pessoal por favor, e me diga se tem conta Paypal para que eu possa realizar o pagamento caso fazermos negocio!
Obrigado

      Please send prices for my personal email please and tell me if you have Paypal account so I can make the payment if we do business!
thank you

Citação: "redsmithstudios"​These coins are banned for a very good reason, those coins look very real, they are made to trick people into thinking they are the real thing and pay full price. Be careful dealing with members who only want to sell fake coins, get the coins before sending payment.

​I have a INDO CHINE FRANCAISE TITRE 0900.POIDS 27 GR. Dated 1489. I have not been able to find any information about this coin and the possibility of a date error or that it is a fake. It looks like a gold coin and has good weight to it. Can you shed some light on this coin for me >
Thank you
The CoinLady7

Citação: "CoinLady7"​

Citação: "redsmithstudios"​These coins are banned for a very good reason, those coins look very real, they are made to trick people into thinking they are the real thing and pay full price. Be careful dealing with members who only want to sell fake coins, get the coins before sending payment.

​​I have a INDO CHINE FRANCAISE TITRE 0900.POIDS 27 GR. Dated 1489. I have not been able to find any information about this coin and the possibility of a date error or that it is a fake. It looks like a gold coin and has good weight to it. Can you shed some light on this coin for me >
​Thank you
​The CoinLady7

​1) French Indo-China didn't exist until 1887.
2) They didn't issue gold coins.
3) "INDO CHINE FRANCAISE TITRE 0900.POIDS 27 GR." are the markings from the silver Piastre of 1895-1928: https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces11287.html

Do you have a picture of the coin?

Hi !
I agree all modern fakes should be marked "FAKE " or "COPY", but what about contemporary fakes ? Coins that were made several hundreds of years ago ?
Those were not made to make a profit of coincollectors who can't tell the difference, but were actually used in circulation ? It would be a shame to mark those coins...
Tony

Firstly, I agree totally with all those members who fear being sold fakes and the need for absolute honesty. Love the comments about cardboard replacements.

I would wish to make this comment: I bought some red book bi metallic Russian roubles from a site but fully understood that they were replicas .

I like bi metallic coins and although they were replicas they still were bi metallic and they were very nicely presented so I like them . I wonder in a way if they could be considered a fantasy set.( What defines a fantasy set ??).

needless to say they are just for my personal enjoyment and have no intention of selling them on .

you want to be rid of your fake coins? ...cool

you want to regain worth lost wasted on B.S. counterfeits?.... understandable

you hope/expect to either trade or accept REAL money for tools of dishonesty created by dishonest people with the full intent and ability to rip people off?...... not cool

I have an idea, if you wish to remain honest person by not passing on tools to help others be dishonest, yet still gaining worth,..... try video taping yourself destroying those worthless hunks of junk in different interesting ways, post the videos on YouTube, sell advertising space.... I would watch!

in the USA it is illegal to willingly buy, sell or even own counterfeit currency (unless clearly marked)... as it should be in all countries

I am in this boat too. I have a very nice looking Revolution era France 5 francs coin. it was sold clearly stated as a modern replica made of nickel plated copper. it looks great, the wear on the edges and patination is really impressively achieved. It is indeed too good!!

Since then, i have decided i do not want or need replicas. I have written off what i paid for it, a small amount really for such nicely made thing. I make mistakes investing all too often, and it must be accepted as part of business, we hope to gain more than we lose, in the long term.

But it is not part of my coin collection, it is just a curiosity. I know I can not sell it, the same to pass a counterfeit banknote.


moving forward - how may one detect such replicas? what non-destructive testing methods are available?

there are quite a number of fake uk kew gardens 50p coins offered for sale on ebay, and these are going for around £40 each.

Citação: "alfred1"​there are quite a number of fake uk kew gardens 50p coins offered for sale on ebay, and these are going for around £40 each.

​I have been on a report rampage with these kew garden proof and pretty good copies selling for prices that clearly reflects media hype buyers not knowing what they are getting. Buyers boasting collections like Olympic 50p set and some £2 sets are easy prey for these low lives who try and sell these coins as the real deal. I report and tear them a new one in a very calm manner as far as wording goes. Being a smart and cool trumps rage messages.

eBay have a zero tolerance policy regarding selling counterfeit items, but seem extremely lazy at implementing measures to combat it, as if they do not want to lose the fees.

Genuine Kew are now going for £60+ and the proof has gone for £130+, big hike which indicates a boom in interest since I bought both of mine at just over half those prices. Fakes will end up crushing the value of these, just like others similar that are starting to enter the market.

Never buy something without hunting for info and countlessly compare even the minutest details, the counterfeiters are getting so much better. Scum.

Citação: "Fluke"​

Citação: "alfred1"​there are quite a number of fake uk kew gardens 50p coins offered for sale on ebay, and these are going for around £40 each.

​​I have been on a report rampage with these kew garden proof and pretty good copies selling for prices that clearly reflects media hype buyers not knowing what they are getting. Buyers boasting collections like Olympic 50p set and some £2 sets are easy prey for these low lives who try and sell these coins as the real deal. I report and tear them a new one in a very calm manner as far as wording goes. Being a smart and cool trumps rage messages.
​
​eBay have a zero tolerance policy regarding selling counterfeit items, but seem extremely lazy at implementing measures to combat it, as if they do not want to lose the fees.
​
​Genuine Kew are now going for £60+ and the proof has gone for £130+, big hike which indicates a boom in interest since I bought both of mine at just over half those prices. Fakes will end up crushing the value of these, just like others similar that are starting to enter the market.
​
​Never buy something without hunting for info and countlessly compare even the minutest details, the counterfeiters are getting so much better. Scum.

​there are quite a few fake coins offered for sale in the hope of ensnaring the unwitting new collector

That is what makes eBay undesirable for most collectors, even some highly ranked sellers can still have a fake in their listing, but it is hard to tell if it is accidental or if it was a deliberate slip in.

It's amazing how many sellers I see who post only one side of the coin.

I even saw one listing where there was only one photo of five coins and they were sitting on the leaves of an African violet.

Some sellers have posted new photos when asked but others have refused.

If I can't see two sides it's a big "pass" for me.

Re: Coin Forgeries
Please be aware of the following:
Even possession of forged or copied legal and valid currency items which are marked as copies, is a criminal offence punishable by heavy fines and even jail time.
Countries like Canada and some others never had their currency demonetized. Therefore every coin and Banknote issued since 1858 is still today legal tender.
Penalty for simple possession of a forgery can be harsh, up to 14 years in prison.
The Criminal code does not make a difference between marked with copy items or not marked items.
The reason is very simple. The item (I hate to call a forgery a coin) had to be made first before it could be stamped or marked as copy! Therefore the act of making a forgery was completed.
In simple words: it does not matter if the item is marked with the words "Copy" or whatever.
It is the fact that simple possession alone is illegal!
Be careful buying, trading or possessing forged items.

I think the European Union has no law regarding this. I mean owning a fake coin, if it's not a Euro coin.

This new law must have been passed within the last 2 years.
During the past 14 years I was instrumental in laying charges against 9 dealers and sellers in Germany, Austria, Denmark and Switzerland. Police in these countries are very efficient and move relatively fast. In one case they obtained a search warrant for a home in a small town and discovered over 470 Chinese made forgeries of expensive silver and gold coins, including Canadian and US Silver Dollars and Newfoundland Gold coins. The guy got away with a 12,000 Euro fine.
IMO, 12 years in Jail (with the key lost by the guards) would have been a better deterrent.

Citação: "coinspy"...
over 470 Chinese made forgeries of expensive silver and gold coins, including Canadian and US Silver Dollars and Newfoundland Gold coins
...

​Is there a list of known fakes? I assume the molds once created are used again and again.
i know that there is a mold of L'AN 4 5 francs, I have one!
is there a place I can go to see if a fake has been made?

Would a faker make a mold of a common circulated coin selling for $20 ?
for example, is there a US Morgan dollar 1888-O ?

I am not aware of a list for US $
The chines advertise their crap openly on their web sites and there is not a day where you can not find it also on Ebay. they make everything from the smallest denomination to the most sophisticated X-mas coins. Even bullion bars with fake cores, but correct weight.
I have a CD with over 400 Canadian Fakes. it is available by mail for CAN $ 40 out of Toronto from a fellow who knows a lot more than I about fakes.. and I do know a fair bit. If you are interested, let me know.
I will not publicize any sources where you can get the fakes.
I do know Fakes for nearly ever country come out of the PRoC.
I have been to shops in HKG ( just off Granville Ave.) and saw them myself. Neatly stacked by year , denomination and country. if they do not have them ready, come back tomorrow or later today and they have them. $ 2.50 each
The newest fakes are made with Computers and super modern machinery. they do not use molds any longer.
The latest fakes are so good, it is amazing.
it looks like a war which can not be won unless Governments, mainly Customs, step in and enforce the laws, not just have them.

Your information is deeply disturbing.
Of course you are right that modern 3D scanning printing has made this cheap and easy, to include even less valuable items.
Now everything in my collection that i have purchased more recently than a few years is suspect.

How can a fake be determined by examination?

Sorry about that, but it is reality.
how?? if these are low cost items, not a big problem.
But high end $$$ items?
experience recognizing these and or XRF scans or other electronic methods.
First and foremost: know your stuff, its physical properties like weight, dimensions etc.
Buy from a reputable source. if you buy on Feebay, look at feedback of a seller etc..

now everything looks fake to me.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1873A-France-Five-Francs-900-SILVER-5F-COIN-Auction-Starts-At-99-Cents/332169570022
http://www.ebay.com/itm/FRANCE-1873-A-SILVER-5-FRANCS-THIRD-REPUBLIC-NO-RESERVE/262920078640
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1812-FRANCE-5-FRANCS-SILVER/391745075740

Citação: "Mr. Midnight"​now everything looks fake to me.
​http://www.ebay.com/itm/1873A-France-Five-Francs-900-SILVER-5F-COIN-Auction-Starts-At-99-Cents/332169570022
​http://www.ebay.com/itm/FRANCE-1873-A-SILVER-5-FRANCS-THIRD-REPUBLIC-NO-RESERVE/262920078640
​http://www.ebay.com/itm/1812-FRANCE-5-FRANCS-SILVER/391745075740
​
​

​Welcome to my world. I have a real fear that any and all of my coins could be fakes.

Don't let fear of fakes deprive you of any enjoyment. Once you have the coin in your hand they are quite easy to spot, except for the very expensive top tier ones struck in silver or gold to keep the specs correct. By the time you're ready to start buying those kind of coins you won't be needing my humble advice.

Stay clear of dealers in third world countries and sketchy types at home and that's 90% of the battle already won. The rest is up to you but if you take the most basic measures you will avoid all but the best forgeries.

I just don't understand people jumping in and buying coins with price tags in the 100's of dollars who balk at spending $50 on a book or even $20 on a digital scale. Every collector should own a digital scale, calipers and a magnet. I use plastic calipers which I bought years ago for $1 and a repurposed fridge magnet. They serve my needs. I don't need digital calipers, I'm collecting coins not building the space shuttle.

you hit the nail on the head... except digital scales are available out of HKG for under $ 7 free shipping. these are very accurate and great
In your post you missed one sign to recognise fakes
It is the usually just not right color and appearance and feel.
do not let a damaged or not nice looking coin fool you.
many high end coins are purposely and artificially damaged and aged.
example: a gold coin authentic, worth $ 1000 in VF... suddenly you find one, weight etc all fine, in VF 30 and buy it for $ 950.
great deal right?? if u do not know your seller, you might have just been taken.. as the core is not gold but the weight is correct. The appearance is close to perfect BUT....there is the issue of the small serif... going the wrong way. an expert and honest seller will know.. Experience is the key
Also , do not buy unless you know what you buy and from whom you buy.
the best way to visually identify a fake is to have a authentic coin next to it, either the real thing
or some very high definition images showing details.
​personally I have no hands on experience with other coins than Canadian coins.

I collect post-2013 Britannia Gold coins for investment because they are free from VAT and are not liable for Capital Gains Tax.
I like the look of other well known gold coins but they are not suitable for me as an investment.
So I would like to buy some imitation/fake/reproduction gold coins.
Have seen many ads at Aliexpress. Impossible to know from the photos how detailed these are.
I do not mind 'copy' or some other marking to indicate that they are not real.
Any recommendations?
Thanks?

well jobcf....

it is people like you who suport the outfits like aliexpress, big tree etc....
simply, your post should be removed as it supports the purchase of fakes.
correct me if I am wrong!

Citação: "coinspy"​well jobcf....
​
​it is people like you who suport the outfits like aliexpress, big tree etc....
​simply, your post should be removed as it supports the purchase of fakes.
​ correct me if I am wrong!

I made my intentions clear but you misunderstand.
I do not support any kind of fraud.
As I said, "I do not mind 'copy' or some other marking to indicate that they are not real."
I have heard that imitations marked 'copy' are legal in the US or Canada.

100% not legal in Canada for Canadian and other valid currency!
read the whole blog....it answers all your questions.

Anyone here from the UK or EU?
Would like to know if a replica/imitation/reproduction 'gold' coin marked 'copy' or some such marking, is illegal.
a link to an Act of Parliment or a relevant statute, if any, would help.
Thanks!

This is a numismatic web site. what you are describing has nothing to do with numismatics.
good luck buying Chinese "gold" "coins" as an "investment".
good bye.

Mr. Midnight
name of the thread is "Fake/Replica/Copy Coins"
That's why I posted to ask a question.
So your rude response is not warranted and it is off topic
Good bye Mr. Midnight!

Hi,

I'm doing it differently, I've got hold of fake coins in my life as a collector. I keep them, but I've documented them , of course, to be able to show why they are counterfeits. They are in special folder marked COUNTERFEITS .











































I got most of them on market in France for 30 Euro. A few others my dear wife brought me back as presents from Oman and UAE..... lucky enough she didn't pay them expensively!

Ole

Citação: "JobCF"​So I would like to buy some imitation/fake/reproduction gold coins.
​Have seen many ads at Aliexpress. Impossible to know from the photos how detailed these are.
​I do not mind 'copy' or some other marking to indicate that they are not real.

I see them pop up fairly often on a local auction site and they're really poorly made. It won't take long for the plating to start to flake off.

Citação: "Sjoelund"​Hi,
​
​I'm doing it differently, I've got hold of fake coins in my life as a collector. I keep them, but I've documented them , of course, to be able to show why they are counterfeits. They are in special folder marked COUNTERFEITS .
​
​​​I got most of them on market in France for 30 Euro. A few others my dear wife brought me back as presents from Oman and UAE..... lucky enough she didn't pay them expensively!
​​Ole​

Hi Ole
Fascinating and eduactional
Thanks for sharing
Job CF, UK

Citação: "Thomas2k"​

Citação: "JobCF"​So I would like to buy some imitation/fake/reproduction gold coins.
​​Have seen many ads at Aliexpress. Impossible to know from the photos how detailed these are.
​​I do not mind 'copy' or some other marking to indicate that they are not real.

​I see them pop up fairly often on a local auction site and they're really poorly made. It won't take long for the plating to start to flake off.

Yes, I agree.
I am looking for coins with attention to detail and artistic quality that match the original.
I compared photos of imitations with photos of genuine coins.
The copies I found so far have been disappointingly poor.

Ah, I see another old thread is being resurrected.

Out of curiosity, why are you looking for good quality copies of bullion coinage? Not accusing you of something illegal but usually people look for quality copies of older, rare types when they do such a thing.

Citação: "CassTaylor"​Ah, I see another old thread is being resurrected.
​​Out of curiosity, why are you looking for good quality copies of bullion coinage? Not accusing you of something illegal but usually people look for quality copies of older, rare types when they do such a thing.
CassTaylor

I quote from my original post.

I collect post-2013 Britannia Gold coins for investment because they are free from VAT and are not liable for Capital Gains Tax.
I like the look of other well known gold coins but they are not suitable for me as an investment.
So I would like to buy some imitation/fake/reproduction gold coins.

BTW.
I have no intention of committing fraud.
I am not doing anything unusual.
There are collectors of reproduction furniture, replica guns, cars and aircraft.
Classic Cars division of Jaguar recently made ten E-Types at £1 million each!
Demand was overwhelming and Jaguar decided to sell only to those who met certain criteria.

I know, just as there are also collectors of replica/fake/counterfeit coins.

But if gold bullion isn't suitable as an investment, I've never heard of a market for replicas of modern gold bullion marked as "COPY", so that's why I'm curious.

Citação: "CassTaylor"​I know, just as there are also collectors of replica/fake/counterfeit coins.
​
​But if gold bullion isn't suitable as an investment, I've never heard of a market for replicas of modern gold bullion marked as "COPY", so that's why I'm curious.

I have seen a few Youtube videos that show coins marked "COPY"
Not gold bullion. Gold plated copies.
Inexpensive but poor to look at.

Citação: "JobCF"​

Citação: "CassTaylor"​I know, just as there are also collectors of replica/fake/counterfeit coins.
​​
​​But if gold bullion isn't suitable as an investment, I've never heard of a market for replicas of modern gold bullion marked as "COPY", so that's why I'm curious.

​I have seen a few Youtube videos that show coins marked "COPY"
​Not gold bullion. Gold plated copies.
​Inexpensive but poor to look at.
​

​That's why I said replicas (copies) of modern gold bullion
So basically just because they just look nice and are cheaper than the real thing?

I think I've made my feelings about these offerings plain, both here and elsewhere. Ultimately it comes down to intent - there's a world of difference between wanting a substitute for a coin outside of your price zone and those dirtbags who import this junk to resell as genuine coins.

Counterfeiting is illegal in most civilized countries but unfortunately it's definition is usually restricted to non demonetized coins. In one of those rare instances where government intrusion has actually worked as intended, the US Congress passed the Hobby Protection Act. It prevents the import or sale of fake coins unless they are clearly marked as "copy" or have the year of manufacture prominently displayed. The Act even covered the issue of contemporary forgeries by "grandfathering" everything which was struck prior to it's passage. It's a great example of well written, carefully thought out legislation for which generations of collectors should be grateful. It ought to provide an easy blueprint for others to follow. Y'all need to be writing to your governments demanding it.

May I suggest that if you really, truly, just positively have to buy this tawdry gimcrackery, that you at least do so via the secondary market? In doing so you will not be contributing to the profits of the economic pirates in China but you will be relieving the burden from some hapless collector who is regretting such a purchase. It's a minor ethical point but it might save you from some of the well grounded criticism which befalls Aliexpress customers.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who reads these topics with at least one eye on those who are disturbingly keen to snap up these "bargains". On at least a couple of occasions (one involving a former Numista Admin.) I've noticed coins very similar to the ones on offer soon afterwards appearing as swap list items. Folks are paying attention, reputation is king and any association with Aliexpress is quite rightly the numismatic kiss of death.

Citação: "Mr. Midnight"​This is a numismatic web site. what you are describing has nothing to do with numismatics.
​good luck buying Chinese "gold" "coins" as an "investment".
​good bye.

​100% agree

search for 'copy coins' at ebay UK gave over 600 results.
They are described as 'copy', 'gold plated' and so on.
Sellers are mainly from the US and Europe and some have 100% feedback ratings.

The photo is of "KRUGERRAND 24kt GOLD PLATE COIN 1978 or 2012" £10
description state, "REMEMBER THIS IS A REPLICA COIN 24kt GOLD PLATE"
The seller received 2724 feedbacks. 100% rating
Not a bad copy but differences can be seen when compared with the photo of an original.

Why would you wast good money on an imitation? Because you can not afford the real stuff? Is it not somehow pathetic?

@JobCF: The situation in Germany is very similar, if not the same, as pnightingale describes it for the US.
Neither am I a lawyer nor particularly experienced in translating legal provisions into English - I must have missed that class in high school.

The "Münzgesetz", the "(Federal) Law On Coins" regulates that the Federal Ministry of Finance has exlusive authority over the mintage of coins. In paragraph 11, sentence 1 it states that it is forbidden for anybody to imitate or alter official coins as well as to stock, have on offer, put into circulation, or import into the country any of such coins. So far so good. Then it says "Sentence 1 does not apply to pieces that are designed as replicas or were produced before 1850".
Apparently there was a High Court decision in 2006 that interpreted that sentence 2 and confirmed that coins clearly marked with "Copy", "Replica", etc. are not considered forgeries (and thus are OK to own/stock, have on offer, put into circulation, import into the country,...), as there is no danger of confusion.

Once again, I am no expert on this at all. This is just the impression I got from reading our national law.
The same EU directives and regulations pop up when I googled the issue, such as No. 2182/2004 and No. 1210/2010 . The legal texts are available on EUR-lex in your favorite of the 24 official languages.

If I remember correctly, EU directives are an instrument of harmonizing EU law with member states' law. The directives do not directly become national law in the member states, rather does the directive oblige each member state to come up with national law that fully encompasses the ideas of the directive. Having said that, I am sure that there is national law in the UK that is very similar to the German, with the bottom line: If it is clearly marked as a copy it is OK to have and sell, if it appears to be the original coin it is not. Danger of confusion is what it is all about.

As you asked for an "Act of Parliament or a relevant statute", here is the German Münzgesetz. Unfortunately, there is no English translation.

Here in Italy it is a crime both for current currencies and for collectables with decreasing prison sentence.

I have a small collection of these.
Even as replica's/fakes/forgeries they are collectible.
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/chinese-coin-counterfeiting-ring-4071202

This fake coin begs the question what where the fakers thinking?, Mexican on 1 side, US dollar other side, pure fantasy.
maybe it was a 2 in 1 deal, cross the border and flip the coin over




If anybody wants it i will send it to you for free with postage thrown in ( that's the value i put on it)

Hello:

Do you still have the Cuban one? if so, how much would you sell it for?

Right now on eBay there is a George V Australian 1930 One Penny for auction. The auction ends (Thursday evening - Australian time, May 3rd). Thing is I know the mintage on that coin was only around 3,000 and the usual price for a 1930 One Penny begins at around $15,000 AUS for one designated as being VG. The auction value is up to $35.00 AUS at the moment. No where on the advertised coin does it state the coin is a fake or a replica. The seller gives the coin's description as "1930 Penny". I even emailed the seller asking "Is this coin a replica?" and got no reply. No where on his eBay site does he give any indication of this coin being a replica. In the end i did some research on it and it's clearly a fake (it's a London Die coin rather than the normal Indian Die one - I learned how to tell). Isn't it illegal to sell a fake coin without saying it's a fake? Then again, and given I'll most likely never even see a real 1930 One Penny let alone own one, is it worth buying one of these "Gap fillers" as they are often called? personally, the thought of having a fake coin in my collection seems abhorrent to me. I'd rather have the "empty gap". I am also not sure if I could get into trouble with perhaps "Importing a counterfeit coin" into Australia (I'll have to check up on that).

The above coin in question does seem to have been made in order to be passed off as the real thing. From the photographs given by the seller it is a very good fake. I found that quite a few early George V Australian One Penny coins were minted in London, England. The 1930 Penny however was not (Experts do give that there are 2 known London minted Australian 1930 Pennies in existence). There is a way to tell the London minted coins from the Indian Die minted coins as both dies had some features that were unique to themselves. There is also discoloration around the base of the 0 (zero) in the date 1930, and that same 0 looks very very similar to the O as found in the word "Commonwealth" upon the coin. I have read that given the rarity of this coin and it's value (usually around $25,000 AUS) that forgers will go to the extremes of filing away the last digit of the date to then replace it quite artfully with the "O" from "Commonwealth". This coin seems a prime example of that and experts give a clear warning about avoiding and 1930 Penny where there is damage, dents, or discoloration around the date. I also read that it is also quite common to find the 1920 One Penny being made into a 1930 One Penny. But again with a little research first, the fake can be discovered.

Citação: "Kipsley"​Right now on eBay there is a George V Australian 1930 One Penny for auction. The auction ends (Thursday evening - Australian time, May 3rd). Thing is I know the mintage on that coin was only around 3,000 and the usual price for a 1930 One Penny begins at around $15,000 AUS for one designated as being VG. The auction value is up to $35.00 AUS at the moment. No where on the advertised coin does it state the coin is a fake or a replica. The seller gives the coin's description as "1930 Penny". I even emailed the seller asking "Is this coin a replica?" and got no reply. No where on his eBay site does he give any indication of this coin being a replica. In the end i did some research on it and it's clearly a fake (it's a London Die coin rather than the normal Indian Die one - I learned how to tell). Isn't it illegal to sell a fake coin without saying it's a fake? Then again, and given I'll most likely never even see a real 1930 One Penny let alone own one, is it worth buying one of these "Gap fillers" as they are often called? personally, the thought of having a fake coin in my collection seems abhorrent to me. I'd rather have the "empty gap". I am also not sure if I could get into trouble with perhaps "Importing a counterfeit coin" into Australia (I'll have to check up on that).
​
​The above coin in question does seem to have been made in order to be passed off as the real thing. From the photographs given by the seller it is a very good fake. I found that quite a few early George V Australian One Penny coins were minted in London, England. The 1930 Penny however was not (Experts do give that there are 2 known London minted Australian 1930 Pennies in existence). There is a way to tell the London minted coins from the Indian Die minted coins as both dies had some features that were unique to themselves. There is also discoloration around the base of the 0 (zero) in the date 1930, and that same 0 looks very very similar to the O as found in the word "Commonwealth" upon the coin. I have read that given the rarity of this coin and it's value (usually around $25,000 AUS) that forgers will go to the extremes of filing away the last digit of the date to then replace it quite artfully with the "O" from "Commonwealth". This coin seems a prime example of that and experts give a clear warning about avoiding and 1930 Penny where there is damage, dents, or discoloration around the date. I also read that it is also quite common to find the 1920 One Penny being made into a 1930 One Penny. But again with a little research first, the fake can be discovered.

​Hello, The UK is awash with fake coins, it was reported a few years back that 50% of uk £1 coins where possibly fake, even the powers that be gave up and accepted them as circulating money, the new £1 -12 sided security replacement coin 2 days after release there where reports of fakes turning up, there are fakes out there of every UK coin worth faking, the rare? kew gardens 50p you can buy one off ebay every day for the last few years most are more than likely fakes ( I give up on this coin, way too many fakes)but it still commands good money, fake coins are everywhere and the fakers are getting more sophisticated, some of the UK £2 fake coins look better than the circulating coin, more like a proof issue so i have found.
Ebay do very little about it because there is a huge market in fakes, and there only interest is clearly profit, why would they stop all the fake kew gardens being sold when they can make lots of money simple as!.
Fake coins are endless, A bit like this thread .

Citação: "Kipsley"​ I also read that it is also quite common to find the 1920 One Penny being made into a 1930 One Penny. But again with a little research first, the fake can be discovered.

​You're picking this up with some real speed eh? A healthy cynicism is the first line of defence, closely followed by experience and knowledge. May I introduce you to my very unique 3913 Penny.....

Citação: "Kipsley"​R is it worth buying one of these "Gap fillers" as they are often called? personally, the thought of having a fake coin in my collection seems abhorrent to me. I'd rather have the "empty gap". I am also not sure if I could get into trouble with perhaps "Importing a counterfeit coin" into Australia (I'll have to check up on that).
​

​I agree- I can't understand why people buy replicas as "gap fillers". It's redundant to do so IMO; I could have replicas made of a bunch of valuable coins, but it couldn't polish the boots of a collection of real, albeit less distinguished coins.

Maybe the collectors who insist on having a complete date run might buy a replica to fill in a rare key date, but that's still kind of pointless to me.

I'm a most of life variation follower; reader, leader, Nurd, whatever. Fakes are mostly obvious. Variations sometimes blur the ground, that's why official coin producers try to minimise them. Particularly in the ancient and hand-struck category, the fakers are clever, very clever, they seek to achieve the purview and often succeed. The average Joe as we've seen from the preceding post's doesn't seek to deceive, or mostly? Ebay is certainly at fault for not limiting descriptives like 'extremely rare' for some of the most obvious common issues. I guess they don't have the expertise available to discriminate, or am I being just too kind?I recently posted a Falklands coin which is in the twilight zone. I'm waiting for the Royal Mint to pronounce, they have analytical equipment which the average Joe can't access.
Which brings me to my final point: how does someone decide; fake or not among the better specimens? Saxon Penny; Greek tetradrachm or a denarius. What tragedy the forger collaterally brings with the suggested death sentence of stamping or bludgeoning in error of the real thing... Whatever shall we do, oh Lord?

Citação: "yvon"​Why would you wast good money on an imitation? Because you can not afford the real stuff? Is it not somehow pathetic?

​Is it really pathetic for a person who is on low income to want at least something to hold and look at that is similar to the historical piece? I have seen people buying imitations of old parchments like the declaration of independence or copies of old diaries but you wouldn't call them pathetic, would you? To say its pathetic is a very stuck up sort of look at it.

As for everyone talking about putting a hammer to the coins and such, I can understand your feeling that you wouldn't want them being sold as the real thing, but that kind of defeats the idea of the replica. There are other ways to mark them as replicas besides putting a huge ding in them that covers all the detail to the coin. Just a tiny scratch in a blank area that says copy or something like that would probably work. The reason some people would buy replicas is to see all the details that the coin would really have.

Citação: "Iainmac"​This fake coin begs the question what where the fakers thinking?, Mexican on 1 side, US dollar other side, pure fantasy.
​maybe it was a 2 in 1 deal, cross the border and flip the coin over
​
​
​
​
​If anybody wants it i will send it to you for free with postage thrown in ( that's the value i put on it)

​If you still got it, I'm interested just for a good story for my friends and family.

Citação: "angelsinthewindow"​

Citação: "Iainmac"​This fake coin begs the question what where the fakers thinking?, Mexican on 1 side, US dollar other side, pure fantasy.
​​maybe it was a 2 in 1 deal, cross the border and flip the coin over
​​
​​
​​
​​
​​If anybody wants it i will send it to you for free with postage thrown in ( that's the value i put on it)

​​If you still got it, I'm interested just for a good story for my friends and family.

​Hi, sorry coin has already been gifted, if i find another it's yours Thanks.

Citação: "angelsinthewindow"​

Citação: "yvon"​Why would you wast good money on an imitation? Because you can not afford the real stuff? Is it not somehow pathetic?

​​Is it really pathetic for a person who is on low income to want at least something to hold and look at that is similar to the historical piece? I have seen people buying imitations of old parchments like the declaration of independence or copies of old diaries but you wouldn't call them pathetic, would you? To say its pathetic is a very stuck up sort of look at it.
​
​As for everyone talking about putting a hammer to the coins and such, I can understand your feeling that you wouldn't want them being sold as the real thing, but that kind of defeats the idea of the replica. There are other ways to mark them as replicas besides putting a huge ding in them that covers all the detail to the coin. Just a tiny scratch in a blank area that says copy or something like that would probably work. The reason some people would buy replicas is to see all the details that the coin would really have.

​That is the way I see it: a replica, in my opinion, is a pathetic thing, not only coins but everything imitated by somebody who like something, like a painting or an artwork, but who do not have the skills or knowledge to create something nice on his own, also with this childish car-conversion-kits to turn your cheap thing into a
Ferrari'. Or what Volkswagen does with their stupid, so called 'Bugatti'...the Germans has a nice seeing about
that: zum kotzen!. If you can not afford a thing, do not pretend, but go to a museum or so and enjoy the view
of that beautifull, unique item. That is my point, sorry for my poor English.

Ummmmm..... Just wanting to point out that many exhibits in a Museum are actually replicas. The real item is usually safe in a vault or in protected storage. I personally see nothing wrong with a person collecting fake coins or replicas. It's just a personal choice and people will collect anything. As for replica cars, the "Eureka" (a Volkswagen with a sports car shell) has of it's own right become quite a collector's piece.

Citação: "Kipsley"​Ummmmm..... Just wanting to point out that many exhibits in a Museum are actually replicas. The real item is usually safe in a vault or in protected storage. I personally see nothing wrong with a person collecting fake coins or replicas. It's just a personal choice and people will collect anything. As for replica cars, the "Eureka" (a Volkswagen with a sports car shell) has of it's own right become quite a collector's piece.

​You are right, of course everybody should like/collect whatever he or she likes. But for me I do not like
replica/ imitations/ fakes whatever they are called, special when they are fabricated to fool innocent
collectors, who maybe spent his small, hard earned, savings on it.... Btw. imitation is a (strange) way of appreciation...

Citação: "yvon"​

Citação: "Kipsley"​Ummmmm..... Just wanting to point out that many exhibits in a Museum are actually replicas. The real item is usually safe in a vault or in protected storage. I personally see nothing wrong with a person collecting fake coins or replicas. It's just a personal choice and people will collect anything. As for replica cars, the "Eureka" (a Volkswagen with a sports car shell) has of it's own right become quite a collector's piece.

​​You are right, of course everybody should like/collect whatever he or she likes. But for me I do not like
​ replica/ imitations/ fakes whatever they are called, special when they are fabricated to fool innocent
​ collectors, who maybe spent his small, hard earned, savings on it.... Btw. imitation is a (strange) way of appreciation...

​I agree with yvon here... obviously to each their own, but IMO, a collector of X shouldn't be collecting replicas of X. If you have a collection consisting of replica Petition Crowns and Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles, then what you have I wouldn't classify as a collection of coins, but a collection of replica coins.

Scale that up and you have more well-off people buying artefacts looking down on people who buy copies of the Declaration of Independence; there's nothing wrong in collecting copies/replicas of wildly expensive things most could never afford to possess, but calling that a "collection of X", instead of the more appropriate "a collection of replicas of X" is just a bit audacious.

Citação: "CassTaylor"​

Citação: "yvon"​
​

Citação: "Kipsley"​Ummmmm..... Just wanting to point out that many exhibits in a Museum are actually replicas. The real item is usually safe in a vault or in protected storage. I personally see nothing wrong with a person collecting fake coins or replicas. It's just a personal choice and people will collect anything. As for replica cars, the "Eureka" (a Volkswagen with a sports car shell) has of it's own right become quite a collector's piece.

​​​You are right, of course everybody should like/collect whatever he or she likes. But for me I do not like
​​ replica/ imitations/ fakes whatever they are called, special when they are fabricated to fool innocent
​​ collectors, who maybe spent his small, hard earned, savings on it.... Btw. imitation is a (strange) way of appreciation...

​​I agree with yvon here... obviously to each their own, but IMO, a collector of X shouldn't be collecting replicas of X. If you have a collection consisting of replica Petition Crowns and Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles, then what you have I wouldn't classify as a collection of coins, but a collection of replica coins.
​
​Scale that up and you have more well-off people buying artefacts looking down on people who buy copies of the Declaration of Independence; there's nothing wrong in collecting copies/replicas of wildly expensive things most could never afford to possess, but calling that a "collection of X", instead of the more appropriate "a collection of replicas of X" is just a bit audacious.
​
​

​I would call it a collection of coins if most of them are real coins and only a couple are replicas because of how hard some of them are to find or are very, very expensive. I have a replica of a gold doubloons because I know I can NEVER find a real one at a decent price for myself but yet most all of my coins are real so just a handful of replicas does not always soil the whole collection if the reals outnumber the replicas.

Citação: "angelsinthewindow"​​I would call it a collection of coins if most of them are real coins and only a couple are replicas because of how hard some of them are to find or are very, very expensive. I have a replica of a gold doubloons because I know I can NEVER find a real one at a decent price for myself but yet most all of my coins are real so just a handful of replicas does not always soil the whole collection if the reals outnumber the replicas.

If that's the case I'd call that a coin collection + a replica or two. But still, to refer to the collection with even one replica in it as a "coin collection" seems a bit contrite, unless you expand the original definition of "coin" to include tokens and exonumia, a category which replicas can be justifiably placed in.

Citação: "CassTaylor"​

Citação: "angelsinthewindow"​​​I would call it a collection of coins if most of them are real coins and only a couple are replicas because of how hard some of them are to find or are very, very expensive. I have a replica of a gold doubloons because I know I can NEVER find a real one at a decent price for myself but yet most all of my coins are real so just a handful of replicas does not always soil the whole collection if the reals outnumber the replicas.

​If that's the case I'd call that a coin collection + a replica or two. But still, to refer to the collection with even one replica in it as a "coin collection" seems a bit contrite, unless you expand the original definition of "coin" to include tokens and exonumia, a category which replicas can be justifiably placed in.
​

​I don't see why you wouldn't expand it to the tokens and exonumia. They have done it here on this website so I would still consider them coins.

Citação: "angelsinthewindow"​

Citação: "CassTaylor"​
​

Citação: "yvon"​
​​
​

Citação: "Kipsley"​Ummmmm..... Just wanting to point out that many exhibits in a Museum are actually replicas. The real item is usually safe in a vault or in protected storage. I personally see nothing wrong with a person collecting fake coins or replicas. It's just a personal choice and people will collect anything. As for replica cars, the "Eureka" (a Volkswagen with a sports car shell) has of it's own right become quite a collector's piece.

​​​​You are right, of course everybody should like/collect whatever he or she likes. But for me I do not like
​​​ replica/ imitations/ fakes whatever they are called, special when they are fabricated to fool innocent
​​​ collectors, who maybe spent his small, hard earned, savings on it.... Btw. imitation is a (strange) way of appreciation...

​​​I agree with yvon here... obviously to each their own, but IMO, a collector of X shouldn't be collecting replicas of X. If you have a collection consisting of replica Petition Crowns and Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles, then what you have I wouldn't classify as a collection of coins, but a collection of replica coins.
​​
​​Scale that up and you have more well-off people buying artefacts looking down on people who buy copies of the Declaration of Independence; there's nothing wrong in collecting copies/replicas of wildly expensive things most could never afford to possess, but calling that a "collection of X", instead of the more appropriate "a collection of replicas of X" is just a bit audacious.
​​
​​

​​I would call it a collection of coins if most of them are real coins and only a couple are replicas because of how hard some of them are to find or are very, very expensive. I have a replica of a gold doubloons because I know I can NEVER find a real one at a decent price for myself but yet most all of my coins are real so just a handful of replicas does not always soil the whole collection if the reals outnumber the replicas.

​The fact that you mix your beloved collection of real coins with some fakes shows, in my opinion, that you completely missed the point, but again; everybody should collect whatever he likes. I prefer an empty spot in my collection over a fake thing. Any time you look to your collection you will meet this dumb fakes again... what is the fun in it? If you can not afford salt in your food will you replace it with white sand, because it looks like the real stuff?

Citação: "angelsinthewindow"​

Citação: "CassTaylor"​
​

Citação: "angelsinthewindow"​​​​I would call it a collection of coins if most of them are real coins and only a couple are replicas because of how hard some of them are to find or are very, very expensive. I have a replica of a gold doubloons because I know I can NEVER find a real one at a decent price for myself but yet most all of my coins are real so just a handful of replicas does not always soil the whole collection if the reals outnumber the replicas.

​​If that's the case I'd call that a coin collection + a replica or two. But still, to refer to the collection with even one replica in it as a "coin collection" seems a bit contrite, unless you expand the original definition of "coin" to include tokens and exonumia, a category which replicas can be justifiably placed in.
​​

​​I don't see why you wouldn't expand it to the tokens and exonumia. They have done it here on this website so I would still consider them coins.

​We haven't really; why do you think we have Tokens and Exonumia as separate issuers in the country list?
At best some, like Notgeld and Condor tokens, blur the lines between "coins" (a government issued piece, at least for modern types) and "tokens".

Hello,

Is this a fake grosh?

weight - 2.5g
diameter - 21mm
material - cuprum

I think the basic point here is that collecting replica coins is fine and a matter of personal choice. Some collectors will steer well clear of them, others will use them as "gap-fillers" for those coins in their collection they may just never see, and yet some are so intrigued by fakes that they may collect nothing but fakes. And there is nothing wrong with any of that. However......

I think we can all agree (and it has already been stated above in many posts) we can all appreciate a good replica coin, but we don't want to see any such item being passed off as the real thing. That does annoy me.

do u happen a copy or look-a-like coin of a 1883 republique francaise indo-chine francaise titre 0.900.poids 27gr coin and a 1888 republique francaise indo-chine francaise titre 0.900.poids 27gr coin? If so, how much do u want for them and how fast can u get them to me?

Hello I have a 1900 REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE COPY can someone tell me if it has any value at all ?

Hello I have a 1900 REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE with the word copy printed on the back, can anyone tell me if it has any value at all.

Citação: "bullydozer2020"​Hello I have a 1900 REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE with the word copy printed on the back, can anyone tell me if it has any value at all.

​Please post this in a new thread.

Some free advice

DESTROY THEM - THE WORLD HAS HAD IT WITH FAKE CHINESE JUNK!