George III Half Crown - Chinese Fakes

[azda 979]

Hello my first post and thanks to a fellow member who advised me I had a George 111 Halfcrown fake on my Ebay site . I thought I could identify one of these but apparently not and have now taken off my site and will speaking to the Auction I purchased it from. I hope to learn from this forum and hopefully improve my knowlege of a subject I love . My coin site is classiccoins-uk.

Cheers

Edward

This must be a first, surely. An honest ebayer with a thirst for knowledge! Perhaps there is hope.

Hello Edward.

Perhaps we should also commend him for holding his hands up. These fakes without education are killing the hobby. Welcome to the forum Ed, glad to hear you have taken the coin down. If in doubt, check out forum member seuk, he has a website dedicated to the fakes of George III (anyone got the link to hand?)

Here's hoping you get your money back from wherever it came from, it they don't, or argue the toss, send it to CGS for verification then ask them for the 30 quid fee on top of what you paid for it. Good luck and let us know how you get on with the return.

[azda 979]

Welcome Edward! Seuk pointed out I had a dodgy 1818 HC the other day, which I have just been refunded for - which reminds me, I must send him those pics I promised!

Just curious Paul, did the seller of your fake not say anything or ask why it was fake etc? Or did they just and the cash back?

[Paulus 1,975]

Welcome Edward! Seuk pointed out I had a dodgy 1818 HC the other day, which I have just been refunded for - which reminds me, I must send him those pics I promised!

Just curious Paul, did the seller of your fake not say anything or ask why it was fake etc? Or did they just and the cash back?

He accepted what I said (the 180 degree rotation is pretty conclusive!) and said he would be returning it to DNW!!

Also that it was 'embarrassing' - no quibbles

Edited June 22, 2014 by Paulus

[HistoricCoinage 146]

If in doubt, check out forum member seuk, he has a website dedicated to the fakes of George III (anyone got the link to hand?)

http://www.steppeulvene.com/index.george_iii.html

[azda 979]

DNW????????? Hmmmmm that would mean it would be listed in their previous sales catalogues. Do we know which sale, or when bought allegedly?

[azda 979]

If in doubt, check out forum member seuk, he has a website dedicated to the fakes of George III (anyone got the link to hand?)

http://www.steppeulvene.com/index.george_iii.html

Thanks Clive, will add this too the useful links section now

[Peckris 579]

Hello my first post and thanks to a fellow member who advised me I had a George 111 Halfcrown fake on my Ebay site . I thought I could identify one of these but apparently not and have now taken off my site and will speaking to the Auction I purchased it from. I hope to learn from this forum and hopefully improve my knowlege of a subject I love . My coin site is classiccoins-uk.

Cheers

Edward

That series is fraught with danger - contemporary forgeries of all silver denominations, usually silver-washed copper. But don't despair - seuk is fast becoming recognised as THE expert on them! (However, the non-contemporary Chinese fakes are much more worrying and harder to spot )

[Paulus 1,975]

Hello my first post and thanks to a fellow member who advised me I had a George 111 Halfcrown fake on my Ebay site . I thought I could identify one of these but apparently not and have now taken off my site and will speaking to the Auction I purchased it from. I hope to learn from this forum and hopefully improve my knowlege of a subject I love . My coin site is classiccoins-uk.

Cheers

Edward

That series is fraught with danger - contemporary forgeries of all silver denominations, usually silver-washed copper. But don't despair - seuk is fast becoming recognised as THE expert on them! (However, the non-contemporary Chinese fakes are much more worrying and harder to spot )

They certainly are, the 1818 HC I had had eye appeal, was silver, and if it hadn't been 180 degrees off on the die rotation it may have survived undetected for longer - thank goodness they made such a schoolboy error!

[Peter 615]

Thank goodness for SEUK..our resident fake spotter.

[Nick 329]

The fake 1818 halfcrown doesn't seem to be known by some of the established auction houses. DNW and London Coins auction archives both contain examples of the fakes. In their March sale, London Coins sold two (lots 1652 and 1653) which exhibit all of the known flaws and a few more: dent in the forehead, nicks on the chin and the neck etc.

[Coinery 1,148]

The fake 1818 halfcrown doesn't seem to be known by some of the established auction houses. DNW and London Coins auction archives both contain examples of the fakes. In their March sale, London Coins sold two (lots 1652 and 1653) which exhibit all of the known flaws and a few more: dent in the forehead, nicks on the chin and the neck etc.

Then I guess, as Peter mentioned in a different post, this is indeed the very last net in fake avoidance!

Madness that it takes experts on here to expose the inadequacies of experts out there!

The story life over!

[Paulus 1,975]

As Nick says, 2 lots from the London Coins March 2014 Auction (see below), and here's one from the DNW 21 June 2012 auction. As you can see, all 3 coins share identical imperfections (for example the small dig just above the King's eye).

DNW 21 June 2012 Lot 732:

Edited June 23, 2014 by Paulus

[Paulus 1,975]

London Coins A144 Lot 1652:

[Paulus 1,975]

London Coins A144 Lot 1653:

[HistoricCoinage 146]

That knick above the eye is very obvious once pointed out! Another obvious one is an identical scratch on the second I of BRITANNIA on all three.

[Coinery 1,148]

And the neck abrasions, especially, ALL match! Loosing all faith in experts! You're all on your own wits and the predecimal forum m'friends!

[Coinery 1,148]

I'd love to have one in-hand, just to see if it feels instinctively right?

[Nick 329]

London Coins should probably know better because CGS have previously rejected one as non-authentic (UIN:23853).

[Coinery 1,148]

Another point if interest, is this presently the only known modern fake of this coin?

[Paulus 1,975]

Another point if interest, is this presently the only known modern fake of this coin?

Seuk has got several examples on his web site, most are much cruder:

http://www.steppeulvene.com/index.halfcrown.html

[seuk 85]

The coins on my web site are all contemporary counterfeits. It seems likely that some marks on the Chinese fakes are more clearly visible on high grade fakes.

This however reminds me that I once bought some low quality fake Victoria halfcrowns (1853 and 1877 of many available years). My guess is that at least one of the years exist as a high grade forgery...

Edited June 23, 2014 by seuk

[Paulus 1,975]

The coins on my web site are all contemporary counterfeits. It seems likely that some marks on the Chinese fakes are more clearly visible on high grade fakes.

This however reminds me that I once bought some low grade Victoria halfcrowns (1853 and 1877 of many available years). My guess is that at least one of the years exist as a high grade forgery...

Sorry Seuk, of course they are. Best pics I have are being emailed to you later

Edited June 23, 2014 by Paulus

[Nick 329]

There are a couple of dodgy 1818 halfcrowns for sale here but if you don't want to pay that much for a replica (and I'm sure you don't) try here.

[Paulus 1,975]

Thanks Nick.

This would appear to be their current range of GB numismatic stuff:

link

For less than £1.50 delivered I have ordered an 1818 HC - will be useful to learn the look and feel of these in the hand

Edited June 26, 2014 by Paulus

[TomGoodheart 400]

There are a couple of dodgy 1818 halfcrowns for sale here but if you don't want to pay that much for a replica (and I'm sure you don't) try here.

Good grief! One of the sellers has even called themselves PCGS!

Sorry I sold my Northumberland now. Not sure I'd risk buying another!