Tag Archives: eBay

Bad Coin Rolls and Documented Bay Seller

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Jack D. Young for Proxiblog

So I previously wrote a Coin Week article on attributing a counterfeit 1893-O Morgan Dollar and noted the high bad feedback eBay seller:

Counterfeit 1893-O Morgan Dollar: A Diagnostic Case Study

That same seller also sold 2 mixed rolls of small cents faced with an apparent 1857 Flying Eagle cent to a Face Book friend; it turned out the FE is a known counterfeit, and the new owner posted them and the link to my Coin Week article about them!

The OP noted the counterfeit “tells” for this style counterfeit on his example (circled in red) referencing the Coin Week article attributions.

Bottom image of the OP’s FB post on the subject

Image from the referenced Coin Week article showing other examples with the matching marks:

Counterfeit 1857 Flying Eagle Cents You Should Avoid | CoinWeek

While reviewing the article for images (I often go back to my own published article for reference while researcher subject “coins”!) I noticed the OP had posted a comment which I responded to.

So, purchased in 2023 and now aware as a result of the article! Ironically the article was published in 2023 as well…

Comments from the subject Coin Week article

2023 and the seller is still “at large” 😎! I immediately found another listing from him for a similar roll, documented his images and then worked to “win” the auction.

Recent identical eBay roll listing- I won!

So all I had to do was wait for this to be delivered. I was already planning how to document what it is once in-hand, taking images as I worked to uncover the detail I thought would match my friends, but that turned to be too easy a thought…

I was initially pretty confident I would see the “Bad T” in UNITED, but that documented attribution point wasn’t there!

Image from my microscope of my FE in the roll

OK, so what, did the seller actually slip a genuine example in the roll? My plan was failing so I just carefully unwrapped the whole roll and then imaged the contents:

And the FE? 1st thing of note is he is using repeated stock images; mine was positioned differently relative to the roll:

Listing image of the roll on the left, received on the right- date not apparent

And once removed from the roll I immediately recognized it after digging through my article:

Coin received is actually the 2nd counterfeit documented in the article, as noted:
Additional article images

So, now again confident he slipped a counterfeit into the roll I decided to send him a message. My previous attempts on the 1893-O Morgan failed because he doesn’t accept messages but apparently does when a current purchased item is linked.

Yeah, right. … But he did immediately refund my purchase price without involving eBay- a surprise for sure given all of his past responses to negative feedback given.

And he then listed another one, but I found I am now banned by him for any future listings.

Keeping it real, Jack.

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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.

Dropped Star Error

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The “dropped star” error–technical name, “Struck-Through Dropped Filling”–is easy to detect because a star-shaped device appears in the wrong place. The error, authenticated by PCGS, exists in a 2024-D Kennedy Half Dollar.

Some believe the PCGS example is a “one of one” find, meaning, there may be no other similar error in the series. Or there just be one or more in different places. Here’s why.

The dropped star happens when grease or metal shavings fill the device. The striking continues and eventually releases the plug (also called “mint goop”) so it is struck on a subsequent planchet.

Think of the process as clogging and compacting on one planchet, dislodging and then being struck on a new planchet.

In this Kennedy half case, the star was ejected and appears on his profile. That’s interesting! The star in question was on the reverse and the plug stamped the star on the obverse of another planchet!

Here is a close-up photographed by Jeffrey Flynt who wrote about the find for PCGS.

Flynt has an optimistic outlook for error finders. He writes, “My journey from a routine coin roll hunt to a PCGS-certified ‘Dropped Star Obverse’ discovery coin has been an incredible experience. It highlights that even in the age of modern coinage, exciting and significant finds are still possible if you look closely.”

Keep in mind that the dropped star can also be a dropped number or letter as happened on other coins. For instance, a 2007-D Idaho quarter had an extra incuse “R” between the “R” and “T” in “LIBERTY.” Ken Potter, one of our top numismatists, wrote about this for Numismatic News.

He states, “Up until a few years ago the Dropped Letter error type was rarely encountered but with the Mint’s schedule for striking coins tighter than ever, it appears that routine die cleaning rarely occurs anymore.”

Here’s an example of a 1960-D dropped letter authenticated by PCGS:

NGC also has documented dropped letters and numbers.

Here’s a dropped “D” on a 1976-D Bicentennial Quarter.

Error and variety hunters have patience. They may look for anomalies on thousands of coins before finding an dropped device, number or letter. Unfortunately, there are fake added mintmarks and devices just as there are counterfeit and replica examples. Also, there is PAREIDOLIA, the tendency to perceive images in visual patterns, often leading to misidentification of coin errors.

For instance, “Daniel from CoinHELPu” questions whether PCGS made a mistake labeling this a dropped star. He believes the mark just may look like a star.

Proxiblog will keep monitoring this error, publishing new authenticated finds.

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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.

Common Mercury Dime Counterfeits

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Key date coins are commonly counterfeited and should be viewed with scrutiny. This subject example of a 1916-D Mercury Dime surfaced and what many would call a “one glance” counterfeit.

The mintmark punch for the 1916-D is easily recognizable, along with 4 mintmark positions for genuine coins. This clearly isn’t a genuine mintmark and as one can tell by the surface quality the coin itself is a counterfeit.

This is one seen routinely through various Facebook groups, you would be hard pressed not to see one of these shared weekly. It isn’t just the key dates targeted (although that is the primary targets). Image comparison of a 1916-D, 1921-D, and 1939-D pictured below. A common reverse with a “bad” mintmark and small surface lump to the right of E.

Common markers in Red:

  • Surface lump to the right of E of ONE
  • Deformed mintmark shape and placement

Markers In Green indicate features not present on all examples. In this case two cracks running though U in “UNITED” and the A in “STATES”.

If you would like to know more about 1916-D markers, click here.

If you like posts like this, please go to our counterfeit archive with reports from Jack Riley, Jack D. Young, John Lorenzo and Michael Bugeja. Also, please subscribe so you can get our weekly newsletter and be informed whenever there is a new article or column.

Proxiblog also has hundreds of followers on Facebook Coin Groups. 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.

Double Denomination/Struck Coin

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Double denomination coins are genuine errors struck on a previously struck planchet of a different denomination (e.g., a cent on a dime). Double struck coins are struck twice with the same dies, often overlapping. 

Let’s investigate these genuine error coins and distinguish them from post mint damage (vise and glue coins).

Double Denomination

A double denomination error happens when a previously struck coin, often a smaller denomination like a dime, is fed into a press for a larger denomination like a cent. Because there are two denominations, struck over each other, the error is known by this name. Typically, this happens when struck coin bounces or falls into the wrong hopper or is jammed in the machine, coming loose during striking of another coin.

Technically, this is a machine error. But unlike machine doubling, double denomination coins are rare and highly sought after. The strike also usually ends up misaligned on the planchet.

The most frequent holdered examples include the so-called “11-cent coin”–a cent on a dime. Often a Roosevelt dime is struck with a Lincoln cent. One way to tell is identifying the reeded edge from the dime. Replicas and fakes often do not include this identifying aspect.

Other denominations include a 15c Coin, or Jefferson Nickel on a Cent; 35c Coin, or Quarter on a Dime; and a $1.05 Coin Sacagawea Dollar on a Nickel.

Also, the dates of these double struck coins do not have to match. Two different dates usually occur with machine-jammed coins that come loose during striking of another, as in this example:

Double Struck

This error happens when a struck coin did not eject from the coining chamber and gets struck again, or several times. The result is an overlapping and distorted design with one strike flattening the other. Some double-struck coins have a date; others, as in the above example, do not.

There are different types of double struck coins. The most common is a coin struck correctly that doesn’t eject with the second strike off center. Another type happens with a second image struck over the first. Less common are multiple strikes,

You can see the various examples on the PCGS website. Here’s a double struck off center cent from that site:

The most common double strikes include Lincoln Cents (1959-2008) and clad Jefferson Nickels, Roosevelt Dimes and Modern Washington Quarters.

Vise and Glue Coins

A “vise job” is evidence of post mint damage. It is not an error. Someone squeezed one coin atop another using a vise, hammer or pliers so that it resembles a double struck or denomination coin.

You can spot a vise job when letters or the date appeal backward or the design is sunken into one rather than raised as would be a genuine error.

Note the backward spelling of “America” on this coin:

You can also do similarly with glue. These often appear like double strikes with a ghost image seemingly stuck to a regular strike. Upon inspection, you should see a foreign raised substance. A person uses glue to get an imprint of one coin and then layers it on another. If the raised area looks shiny, you probably have a glue coin.

As the glue dries, however, it may turn darker rather than transparent, looking like metal as below:

If in the market to purchase a double denomination or double struck coin, and are unsure how to identify replicas and forgeries, make sure that it is in a reputable holder. Keep in mind that China has been exporting these fakes. Here’s some examples from Etsy, all selling for under $30.

If you are interested in the various coin conditions like double denomination and double struck, be sure to visit our illustrated coin glossary, the largest on the web, with close to 300 entries.

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You can find more information about types, varieties, errors, grading, bidding and buying in Coin News Updated: The Essential Guide to Online Bidding. Please consider buying or gifting the work for a friend, as it underwrites this hobbyist blog. Thank you.

eBay Seller’s comments to “Your Baby’s Ugly”

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By Jack D. Young

Proxiblog asked me to consider doing an article on “how eBay sellers react when we report their coins as fake? I know some take down the lots. Others don’t.” I was intrigued by the thought and decided to write the following!

When I explain a Bay listing is counterfeit sellers can react a number of ways–in disbelieve, argumentatively (Grandpa owned it), accepting and thankful, combative (I’ll meet you in a parking lot dude…) or just “crickets.”. In my experience the larger the seller the higher the probability of crickets.

So, moving on I will not lower our standards here and report the combative ones but several of recent experiences I have had of the other types of reactions.

Let’s start with an interesting Trade dollar. This example just caught my eye, and the images led me to believe the coin was not genuine. The images in the listing were not definitive, and I asked the seller for better ones. He agreed and that was all it took! The common reverse used for a family of fakes I nicknamed the “notched R.” I wrote an article on these published in a recent LSCC Gobrecht Journal. I actually own one returned to a seller by NGC as counterfeit, so well versed on these:

eBay recent listing

So, I asked the seller about the coin and that I had concerns about its authenticity. He responded that he looked up the cert and the “PCGS verification”.

I responded there were no images on the on-line cert, so no help there. I included images from my coin and article and that I was sure it was counterfeit.

And he responded with a thank you and that he would remove the listing immediately, which he did!

So, a win, except who knows were the coin ends up, as he responded he is taking it back to the previous seller… And then another listing and another message:

Seller actually had two bad Morgans in fake PCGS slabs listed:

As he stated in his message, he ended both!

So, two with likely the best results we could hope for. And then this one:

Another counterfeit coin in a counterfeit slab, this one gets a little complicated if you really evaluate this one properly.

First, the obverse barcode scans as a 1989 $10 gold eagle. Then, the images of the genuine example for the cert# on the PCGS site are a completely different coin. And third, the interesting twist for this one is fakes of this type typically have a reverse QR code that scans to the genuine PCGS cert site in CHINA (cnpcgs), BUT this one scans to pcgseurope! A separate article on this one in the works.

So, I notified the owner, but he is in denial, and his response and then silence:

Silent until this😎:

So, good luck to all eBayer’s with that one!

And now the crickets; my friend Jack Riley posted the next example in our Face Book group:

Pretty bad counterfeit in a counterfeit slab again, the surprise was it is a large well respected Bay coin seller. Several of us sent messages to the seller with no response, so I took a risk and purchased it with the intention of asking for a return for it being a counterfeit.

Refund granted, never heard from the seller…

And eBay removed the listing:

Shortly thereafter my eBay account was permanently suspended.

If you like posts like this, you can read more articles on counterfeit coins by Jack D. Young, Jack Riley and Michael Bugeja at this URL. Also, please subscribe so you can get our weekly newsletter and be informed whenever there is a new article or column.

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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.

Fake Eisenhower Dollars

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By Jack Riley

As most collectors know, Chinese counterfeits have flooded the market. Often many buyers are “burned” on key date and semi key date coins of many series. We have stressed that nothing is safe and that includes Eisenhower Dollars! These are readily available at banks for face value and yet here we have counterfeits.

Diving straight into repeating markers of these two “coins,” a 1971-P and 1977-P show commonalities between the two. Both share matching obverses and reverses indicated in Red.

Obverse markers:

  • Diagonal depression of L
  • Depression in front of the eye

Reverse markers:

  • Raised lump below A1
  • Indent below OF
  • Line through C

China produces counterfeits of common coins like the Eisenhower dollar if a small profit can be made. These scammers may not be expert numismatists; but they are professional marketers who know about profit margins. Their profits expand with bulk production, flooding eBay and Facebook with fakes. China knows the coin collectors will just assume that low-value common coins like Ike dollars are genuine.

They are polluting the hobby.

If you suspect that one of your coins might be fake, see “Detecting Counterfeits” for methods.

If you like posts like this, you can read more articles on counterfeit coins by Jack D. Young, Jack Riley and Michael Bugeja at this URL. Also, please subscribe so you can get our weekly newsletter and be informed whenever there is a new article or column.

Proxiblog also has thousands of followers on Facebook Coin Groups, YouTube and other venues. 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.

Our Half-Million Milestone!

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Proxiblog wishes to thank the thousands of subscribers, followers and Facebook and YouTube coin group members for helping our site reach a half million hits in the past six months. A special thanks to our writers Jack Young, Jack Riley, Susan Blumlein Amodeo and John Lorenzo as well as Facebook coin group moderators who welcome our articles and posts.

Difference between dryer and spooned coins

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Everyday on Facebook coin groups, Reddit and eBay, dryer and spooned coins appear with their owners believing they have found valuable errors. Let’s look closely at both examples of post mint damage in this article so you can identify what you have if you found examples in pocket change (literally) and rolls.

Also, this article showcases examples of sellers claiming dryer and spooned coins are valuable errors. They are not. They have no collector value.

Dryer Coin

A coin left in a home dryer or, more probably, a commercial dryer at a laundromat is known in numismatics as a “dryer coin,” dramatically changing dimensions so that it appears vastly different than the denomination.

The coin typically remains in a person’s pocket after being washed and tumbled and then falls out of the clothing and is exposed to high heat in a dryer. Sometimes it falls into the gap between the rotating inner drum and the stationary outer frame of a commercial dryer where it suffers even more damage due to grinding, friction and heat.

If you put the phrase “dryer coin” into a search engine, you get dozens of examples on Facebook and Reddit.

Dryer coins undergo these transformations: a flattening and widening of the edge, losing any reeding in the process. The heat pushes from the center outward resulting in a state that often resembles a bicycle tire with enhanced rim. The diameter becomes smaller.

Also, the result is a “mushy” discolored surface with devices literally melting away, as in the above coin. That is not a grease strike. It is a cent that was exposed to high heat in a commercial dryer. Compare:

It is important to distinguish between dryer coins and spooned ones. While both are considered damage, there are distinct differences.

Spooned

A spooned coin often looks like a dryer coin. In this case, however, the edge of a coin is intentionally hammered or pressed with the back of a spoon, eventually flattening and widening it.

The process is used to make a coin ring, as in this example:

The process of tooling the coin varies from a kitchen spoon to a handy person’s tool box and machinery. Basically, the coin is secured on a hard surface so that the person can use the back of a metal spoon, tapping, rotating and rubbing the coin over a long period (we’re talking days or even weeks).

Eventually the coin starts to mushroom toward the edge, developing an extended ring-like edge as in the above coin. At that point what remains of the coin is punched or drilled out, leaving the ring, which eventually is polished.

Some finished rings are lovely, as in this example:

Of course the finished ring looks nothing like a dryer coin. The confusion happens when the person abandons the spooning process and leaves the coin with a large ring-like edge but with the remaining devices of the coin still visible without the mushy appearance of a dryer coin.

That’s how you tell the difference between a spooned and dryer coin. Compare:

As you might expect, unknowledgeable people sell dryer and half-spooned coins as valuable error. Here’s an example of a dryer coin offered for $150.

Here’s an example of a spooned quarter misidentified as an error for $500.

Proxiblog has the largest illustrated glossary on the web. Click here. You can compare dryer and spooned coins to sunken dies and heat damage. Study all the examples so that you, too, can become a coin expert.

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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 types, varieties, errors, grading, bidding and buying in Coin News Updated: The Essential Guide to Online Bidding. Please consider buying or gifting the work for a friend, as it underwrites this hobbyist blog. Thank you.

Types of Toned Coins

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There are various patterns of toned coins ranging from rainbow to terminal. Here are the major ones. You can use these terms when selling or sharing your coins with others.

Rainbow

Rainbow colors in nature are Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. These can be found on coins, as in this example from one of my former coins sold on GreatCollections:

Monster

This term is often misused. Coins that are true “monsters” have exceptionally vibrant, intense, and often, high-value colorful toning, frequently associated with Morgan dollars. Again, from one of my former coins:

Target (Bull’s Eye)

Concentric rings of color, often developing from the outside rim inward. This was one of my favorites and difficult to sell:

Pastel

These coins exhibit soft, light and delicate colors, as in this former coin I owned, also sold on GreatCollections:

Natural/Skin

This refers to natural, undisturbed patina that has developed over a long period. Again, a former coin:

Cabinet

Deep, attractive, often golden or brown toning that develops slowly over many years of storage in a felt-lined cabinet. This coin actually toned over decades in such a cabinet, with the coin saved after JFK’s passing.

Crescent

Toning that appears as a crescent moon shape on a portion of the coin, often caused by how it sat in a holder or album. It was difficult for me to sell this one:

Textile

A rare sought-after pattern that mimics the texture of the canvas mint bag in which the coin was stored. Again, one of my former coins:

Mottled/Splotchy

Uneven and spotty toning as in this former coin of mine:

Taped

Coins originally taped to an album that may develop unique toning where the tape once was, as in this formerly owned coin:

Corrugated Cardboard

These are extremely rare and coveted coins because they often take on the colors of the American flag. I mourned selling this one:

Black/Terminal

Advanced oxidation that can hide coin details, often reducing desirability. You can find plenty of these once beautifully toned American Silver Eagles that crossed over from old green PCI holders to PCGS, with the Gold Shield interacting again with the toning until it goes terminal. You can see that with crossed over coins that had TrueView:

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You can find more information about types, varieties, errors, grading, bidding and buying in Coin News Updated: The Essential Guide to Online Bidding. Please consider buying or gifting the work for a friend, as it underwrites this hobbyist blog. Thank you.

Family of “Fugazi” Lincoln Cents

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By Jack Riley

Fugazi is an Italian slang term meaning “fake” or “bogus,”  referring to a counterfeit object, a sham, or a fraudulent person. People who counterfeit coins are shams and frauds.

We “out” them on Proxiblog.

Prompting this article is a 1914-D cent that a friend shared in a large Facebook coin group. After I explained that this was not genuine, I received additional closeup images for analysis.

A closeup image of the date and mintmark shows this coin is not a genuine 1914-D. The shape and placement of the mintmark is incorrect. This, however, is not the case of an altered date or an added mintmark; the entire coin is counterfeit.

This 1931-S had surfaced on eBay within the last few months. Comparing both reverses it is clear these were produced from the same makers and related to a large “family” of counterfeits. I’m calling this family “Notched O.” More on that momentarily.

The image quality of the 1931-S is subpar, leaving blurry images, yet enough to discern the repeating marks.

“Common marks” highlighted in Red:

  • Depression in O
  • Dent in “N” as well as the “O” in the word OF
  • Small indent of the “E”

At this writing I’ve only seen this on both 1914-D and 1931-S. Likely this exists on many key and semi key dates as well.

To check if your coin may belong to this “fugazi” (i.e. “fake”), look for those common marks highlighted above in red.

If you like posts like this, you can read more articles on counterfeit coins by Jack D. Young, Jack Riley and Michael Bugeja at this URL. Also, please subscribe so you can get our weekly newsletter and be informed whenever there is a new article or column.

Proxiblog also has thousands of followers on Facebook Coin Groups, YouTube and other venues. 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.