Counterfeit coin on eBay

[YumaMarc]

eBay item #: 223460701421

This is a heads-up for anyone collecting Latin American coinage. This coin pops up constantly on eBay, and is offered for $249 as a genuine "error" coin. This one appears to be either overly cleaned or a modern replica. There are five on eBay at the moment, a couple appear to be actual coinage from the time, the others modern, possibly Chinese, replicas.

Quite a number of these were coined in Tegucigalpa between 1833 and 1840, or thereabout. All were struck with the word "PROVISINAL", an unintended misspelling of "Provisional". All Tegucigalpa counterfeits were of copper, the genuine 1833 2 Reales coins were of silver. Some of the fakes were lightly silver plated, but on all I've seen the silver has mostly worn away.

Actual 1833 counterfeits struck during that time have age patina and other signs of antiquity. This one looks way too perfect. Also "real" 1833 fakes can be bought for $30 to $50, not the $200+ these scammers are asking. It is not a valuable ERROR, it is a fake.

 

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[cb73]

There is, sadly, a HUGE amount of counterfeit coins for sale everyday on eBay. Many, but probably not all, are from China. You need to really know your coins--or the dealer--to buy there.

Someone posted a listing there a while back--$1000 in US currency for $9.99. It was advertised as "to train cashiers" but they were passable-quality counterfeits.

 

[EQ8]

There is, sadly, a HUGE amount of counterfeit coins for sale everyday on eBay. Many, but probably not all, are from China.

China has whole factories to counterfeit US coins, (mainly Silver Eagles I am told) but if a Chinese person counterfeits ANY Chinese coin, they get the death penalty.

 

[A2coins]

Yep also have you seen all the supposed to be error coins people sell which are not error coins just crazy

 

[galenrog]

Fakes on eBay. Who’d da thunk it?

Better question: Why do you think this would be abnormal?

I gave up on eBay several years ago. Prices to high. Too many fraudsters, on both buyer and seller sides.

Time for more coffee.