Ebay's Worst Offerings

[Coppers]

Too good to be true?

genuine guaranteed

[1949threepence]

Too good to be true?

genuine guaranteed

Well I wouldn't trust anything that had its origins in China

[wybrit]

Has anyone heard about how that fake 1905 shilling sale turned out? I see that no feedback has been posted yet...

Edited August 21, 2009 by wybrit

[wybrit]

Has anyone heard about how that fake 1905 shilling sale turned out? I see that no feedback has been posted yet...

I should have waited another day. The feedback "fair ebayer refunded with no problem" was received.

[wybrit]

Any thoughts about this 1860 copper penny? It does look similar to the one sold on Colin Cooke's website.

[Rob]

Any thoughts about this 1860 copper penny? It does look similar to the one sold on Colin Cooke's website.

That's got to be a dodgy one. The date doesn't look right. The top of the 6 is too angular. Compare it with this in the gallery. Or alternatively this one.

Edited September 2, 2009 by Rob

[DaveG38]

Any thoughts about this 1860 copper penny? It does look similar to the one sold on Colin Cooke's website.

The Colin Cooke one still has a photo up on the site and its clearly not the same coin. On the face of it, the CC example has a definitely got a weak 6, whearas the one on eBay looks doctored to me. That 6 looks remarkably like the upper part of a 5. Its clearly angled at the top, so my guess is that someone has seen the CC specimen and has done a little creative work on a 1850's specimen to make it look like a 1860.

[wybrit]

Any thoughts about this 1860 copper penny? It does look similar to the one sold on Colin Cooke's website.

The Colin Cooke one still has a photo up on the site and its clearly not the same coin. On the face of it, the CC example has a definitely got a weak 6, whearas the one on eBay looks doctored to me. That 6 looks remarkably like the upper part of a 5. Its clearly angled at the top, so my guess is that someone has seen the CC specimen and has done a little creative work on a 1850's specimen to make it look like a 1860.

It's definitely not the same coin - I only indicated that it does look similar. The main alarm bell for me is: why is it on ebay and not in a major auction? Since no other copper penny date ends in "0", that number would have to have been altered as well...

[wybrit]

I'd be more apt to pass judgment if the coin didn't look somewhat like this one (from CC):

[Peckris]

I'd be more apt to pass judgment if the coin didn't look somewhat like this one (from CC):

Two conclusions :

1. That incomplete 6 is a known flaw on 1860/59 pennies

2. The person responsible saw the CC coin and 'doctored' another date to look similar

[davidrj]

Thoughts on this one? 1933 penny ???!

[1949threepence]

Thoughts on this one? 1933 penny ???!

I think you can safely assume it is a tooled fake. Although the description as a "1930's penny", as opposed to a "1933 penny", is probably accurate.

[wybrit]

I'd be more apt to pass judgment if the coin didn't look somewhat like this one (from CC):

Two conclusions :

1. That incomplete 6 is a known flaw on 1860/59 pennies

2. The person responsible saw the CC coin and 'doctored' another date to look similar

Like everyone who has posted here, I am not convinced that this is a genuine article and would not entertain a bid.

That said, I have yet to see anyone definitively prove to me that this piece is not what it says it is. I can see things in the pictures that I want to see (ie tampering). Or it might just be a poor picture of a real piece. All of the conclusions thus far are merely speculative. I don't think this is as "cut and dry" as that 1905 shilling was.

Real items do pop up in this fashion from time to time. Earlier this year I took a gamble and bought a raw 1871 halfpenny on ebay, bad washed-out picture and all, for a price that was "too good to be true." It turned out to be genuine, uncleaned and mint state (probably gEF by Brit standards).

Edited September 3, 2009 by wybrit

[Coppers]

Thoughts on this one? 1933 penny ???!

I was wondering when that missing 33 was going to turn up.

Interesting description on the coin that certainly should make one wary...

1930s Penny (Marked 1933)King George V

Fair condition as shown.

An opportunity to aquire a rare coin which experts have appraised and concluded that it is possibly quite valuable.

Judge for yourself !!

Sold as seen.

[DaveG38]

No arguments with any of the judgments made here, but I do think its quite nicely done. The '3's are slightly different, but otherwise its better than many similar attempts I've seen. Often, the tooling and scratching around the date is very obvious. This is of course, assuming this coin is real and it isn't a doctored image. There is a slight smudging around the right hand '3' which is slightly suspicious.

[1949threepence]

Quite recently a fake 1905 shilling was well documented on here, and now another quite high grade '05 is up for sale on e bay. It can be seen here

I'd like to make a bid for it, but do any of you folks think it might be a fake ? I can't see any obvious problems with it, but I might be missing something. As the date is notorious for fakes, I'd strongly welcome your opinion.

[RLC35]

It doesn't look like a fake to me. I am also watching that one.

[Peckris]

Neither of the 3s look right on that 1933. Nor do they look quite the same, as you would expect them to. My own feeling is that it is a 1928 : if you look carefully, the second 3 could easily (!) have been tooled out of an 8.

I've just compared my own pictures of a 1928 and a 1930 penny, and noticed something I never spotted before : there was a slight change to the style of numerals between those two dates. The 1928 penny has a longer '1' and a narrower '9', exactly like on that "1933". And if you look at the first of the two 3s, it's nothing like the 3 in a 1930, but the upper portion has much in common with the 2 in the 1928.

The seller says it is "a rare coin which experts have appraised and concluded that it is possibly quite valuable." It could be the one which made its appearance on the Antiques Roadshow a couple of years ago (I missed that show unfortunately). But in one respect they are right - I'm prepared to bet that as a fake, it could still quite easily fetch £100 or more, just to give a collector the glow of owning what LOOKS like a 1933.

[Red Riley]

Apart from obvious things like lack of readies, the reason that I wouldn't entertain a bid stems from the sellers blurb. If you are 'no expert' then how come you've got an 1860/59 penny in the first place? Virtually all of these should by now be in the hands of dealers or knowledgeable collectors, so a lack of knowledge makes me smell a rat.

There is a lot of truth in the old adage; 'buy the seller not the product'.

[scott]

that 33 does look more like a late 20's then a 30's the wear doesnt look right to be 30's looks like my 27-29's

[wybrit]

Quite recently a fake 1905 shilling was well documented on here, and now another quite high grade '05 is up for sale on e bay. It can be seen here

I'd like to make a bid for it, but do any of you folks think it might be a fake ? I can't see any obvious problems with it, but I might be missing something. As the date is notorious for fakes, I'd strongly welcome your opinion.

The pictures aren't the best, but I don't see any telltale signs of fakery. Only by having the coin in hand will one know for certain.

[scott]

power seller 100%

amd i cant spot anything wrong with it... it looks gorgeous

[Peckris]

power seller 100%

amd i cant spot anything wrong with it... it looks gorgeous

I just bought a Roman coin from the same seller - he seems perfectly above board.

[1949threepence]

Thanks for the vote of confidence guys.

I'm going to have to be prepared to give up some heavy cash if I am serious about getting it, as the price is already £155 with over 4 days to go. Not sure what it will end up at, but it will be a lot

Edited September 5, 2009 by 1949threepence

[Chingford]

I'd be more apt to pass judgment if the coin didn't look somewhat like this one (from CC):

Two conclusions :

1. That incomplete 6 is a known flaw on 1860/59 pennies

2. The person responsible saw the CC coin and 'doctored' another date to look similar

Like everyone who has posted here, I am not convinced that this is a genuine article and would not entertain a bid.

That said, I have yet to see anyone definitively prove to me that this piece is not what it says it is. I can see things in the pictures that I want to see (ie tampering). Or it might just be a poor picture of a real piece. All of the conclusions thus far are merely speculative. I don't think this is as "cut and dry" as that 1905 shilling was.

Real items do pop up in this fashion from time to time. Earlier this year I took a gamble and bought a raw 1871 halfpenny on ebay, bad washed-out picture and all, for a price that was "too good to be true." It turned out to be genuine, uncleaned and mint state (probably gEF by Brit standards).

I have had a chat with the seller and he supplied me with some close ups of the coin including the date and reverse, and answered questions regarding the differences with the image sizes, background etc..

Comparing the coin with my Library and the recent Baldwins and Colin Cooke coins, I would say, in my opinion, it is a genuine Gfine/Vf 1860/59 Penny.