Tag Archives: Counterfeit 1881-CC DOLLAR

Bad eBay Sellers … and What We Are Doing About It

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By Jack D. Young

This is an updated version for Proxiblog; the initial version was discussed during a “Live Coin Q&A’s podcast” and can be found at the YouTube video below. You can view that or continue reading about an 1891-CC Morgan “from the land of the Bay” … with a new twist.

Here is the listing in question:

Current eBay listed counterfeit 1891-CC not-PCGS Morgan Dollar

This coin includes “Slash, the eagle”–a common reverse we have seen on multiple counterfeit China Morgan Dollars of various dates and a mislocated “not-PCGS” label! But here the label location was new!

Large image of the reverse- not only does it sport the “slash” but the wrong mintmark position for a genuine 1891-CC:

So I thought I would start a conversation with the seller. Seller says, “It’s my grandfathers!” I respond, “Did he visit China recently?” Seller deadpans: “He’s dead.”

Didn’t see that coming. But looking up the on-line cert yielded this:

No image. I thought looking up the cited registry example would show an image of the genuine coin, but nooooo!

And the Chinese characters under “PCGS Home” seemed appropriate for this example!

More digging finally yielded a low-resolution image of the genuine example listed some time ago by APMEX.

I created this combination image of all three for reference:

What about Grandpa’s coin? It stayed up with active bidding. I posted it on my Facebook page as well as reported it to eBay through their (useless) reporting process.

I actually reported it twice, with the same results both times. Screen shot of my 2nd attempt:

Both times the Baybots said it is AOK:

So I suppose Grandpa would be proud as this finally sold for $332.00:

One has to wonder if the buyer will ever figure it out?

But once again, as Michael Bugeja, Jack Riley and I have done multiple times, reporting counterfeits to eBay, only to see the fake coins sell (as this one did), we have to wonder how can we counter this alarming trend of counterfeits being sold despite multiple reports, alerts and messages.

It seems the only recourse is to get out the word, as I did with the “Live Coin Q&A’s podcast” and as we do regularly here.

If you are interested in all of our reports, go to this tab on Proxiblog. Collectively, we have published some 21 articles about counterfeits with eBay figuring prominently in them.

If you like posts like this, please subscribe so you can be informed whenever there is a new article or column.

Proxiblog also has thousands of followers on Facebook Coin Groups, YouTube and social media. To get the latest discussion and commentary, be sure to friend us by clicking here.

You can find more information about errors and varieties as well as buying and bidding on coins in Coin News Updated: The Essential Guide to Online Bidding. Please consider purchasing the work for yourself or a friend, as it underwrites this hobbyist website. Thank you.

eBay Counterfeits Abound

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By Jack D. Young

Is it me, or has eBay gotten worse recently with bad listings and counterfeits? Their “reporting” feature seems to just be a façade.

I use the Bay as a counterfeit research tool and post about fakes in several Face Book Groups. Recently I posted an obvious bad fake in a fake “PCGS” slab and asked folk to report it as such to eBay through their standard process.

I had a huge response, with NO ONE getting a favorable return; it seems no matter what, the resulting response was … ”We looked into your report and didn’t find the listing to be in violation of our policy.” These are noted as either by their “AI,” which I call the “BayBots,” or the unknown “customer service agent.” A real shame, as eBay did have a method for a select group to direct report bad listings, and I can confirm MANY listings were removed daily, but that channel has apparently dried up.

To illustrate the current state of the Bay, view the following image of listings found via a standard search for “1881-CC Morgan Dollars,” chosen due to proliferation of counterfeits with that date and mintmark:

A brief description of what is shown here:

#1 is a bad CN counterfeit in a fake PCGS holder; it clearly doesn’t match the genuine example shown on the PCGS site and uses the latest scam, a GreatCollections sticker from an actual auction. I reported this, but a second listing for the same fake showed up from a different seller. This, too, was reported as fake.

I previously wrote an article on this latest scam for Proxiblog and the same coin, different seller (now-counterfeit-greatcollections-labels); the counterfeit’s QR code takes one to the PCGS CN site for the cert, the GC QR takes one to their auction for the genuine example. Comparison image as follows:

Chinese counterfeit, left, and genuine “GC sold” example, right

And #’s 2 and 3, again examples shown shipping from China, these use stock images of genuine coins to sell their fakes.

I have direct experience with these type listings, having purchased a large cent with images of a genuine example in the listing only to receive a common current CN counterfeit. The seller offered a return with shipping costing more than I paid for the “coin.”

#4 is another of the bad CN counterfeit Morgans in a fake PCGS holder. I have written articles as well as participated in an on-line podcast discussing these as they proliferate eBay and other sites currently.

This particular example and listing was reported several times and repeatedly eBay responded it was OK; listing finally ended only to have the seller relist it unchecked for another round.

Relisted/ current Bay listing

The genuine PCGS coin is shown on their cert site with an image that this one isn’t even close to, but it was still active for sale on the Bay.

#’s 5 and 6 are more of a CN seller’s listings using genuine stock images of someone else’s coin and listing. I personally would pick #6 to purchase because it is 4 cents cheaper.

And #7! This seller has a whole boatload of fakes labeled as “Commemorative Coins”; give me a break eBay!

Multiple bad listings from the same Bay CN seller

And his description of his “1885-CC”:

Seller’s listing description

I reported the listing and the seller multiple times and apparently the Bay approves of both.

And so, #8, the real “star” of this group! Another of the “Morgan” Morgan fakes in a counterfeit PCGS holder. This one is currently posted on my personal Face Book page and is also being mass reported by my friends:

Current eBay listed bad “Morgan” Morgan

We have been notified that the listing is A-OK, evidenced by this response to my report:

This all does lead one to wonder if eBay has changed its “Coin Policy” without actually formally stating it, as ALL of these types of listings were previously considered violations? Good for the sellers, bad for the buyers? And what affect does it have on the Hobby at this time? I suppose one can only speculate.

One thing that is not speculation–at one time listings could be reported and REMOVED. And the following are images of fake coins identified in one day’s effort:

Is this a sign of the times for eBay or did someone just fall asleep at the wheel? We’ll continue to watch and report “more fun with fakes” for Proxiblog as we see them!

If you like posts like this, please go to Jack Young’s page on Proxiblog. Also, please subscribe so you can be informed whenever there is a new article or column.

Proxiblog also has thousands of followers on Facebook Coin Groups, YouTube and other social media. To get the latest discussion and commentary, be sure to friend us by clicking here.

You can find more information about errors and varieties as well as buying and bidding on coins in Coin News Updated: The Essential Guide to Online Bidding. Please consider purchasing the work for yourself or a friend, as it underwrites this hobbyist website. Thank you.