Present bidding for this piece is over $1000 –

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=290172957557

Anyone think that it is genuine?

The seller claims, as usual, that he bought this piece at an estate sale
and knows nothing about coins.

RWJ

The texture of the fields has that suspicious "orange peel" look ... ... cast fake?

Could this be the first of the next generation of super fakes from China?
It just doesnt look right, at least to my eyes, from those photos. Is the edge lettering a little too nicely done?

I think you're right, bobh.

It isn't a natural photograph, so I wouldn't trust it as far as I could throw it...

fake

100% Fake

This fake has been seen before, both from a U.S. and French seller on eBay.
It has not been seen from any Chinese seller so probably comes from either
Russia or Belarus.

RWJ

It sold to "tristavir" for $3,787.00 plus shipping.

"Tristavir" might well be doing backflips over buying this coin at such a below-market price right now, but will probably be less thrilled when he tries to sell it at some time in the future to a knowledgeable collector or dealer.

What an expensive lesson!

Take it this way, there are people who don't give much "care" about fakes. Good example here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071027/ap_en_ot/not_a_rembrandt

There was a time when I tried to warn a buyer about a counterfeit coin and he only replied back angrily, thinking that I was trying to make him back off so that I can get a better deal. C'est la vie.

That is astounding. Someone actually knowingly paid $4.5 million? It must be some multi-billionaire for whom that is just chump change.



You did what you could. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do to help the obstinately obtuse.

This is fascinating.

In this ebay auction, "rima83" sold the questionable Ioann III rouble to "tristavir" for $3,787.00 + shipping (a well below market price for what a GENUINE example might reasonably be expected to bring).

"rima83" stated in the offering "The Silver Coin was brought from Estate Sale a years ago together with other coins.
I attached many detailed pictures. I do not have enough experience identify coin."

Even though "rima83" claims "I do not have enough experience identify coin", he/she somehow managed to identify it as "Russian Imperial SILVER Coin Tsar Ioan (sic) III.Ruble - 1741".

The seller further stated "Please make your choice. The sale is final." (emphasis added).

Oddly enough, what appears to be the very same coin (or else a second example identical to the one that sold to "tristavir" for $3,787.00 + shipping) and which has the same unusual "toning" pattern has now been listed here.

Once again, the seller correctly identifies the coin while stating he/she does "not have enough experience" to do so.

Once again, it is presented as "brought from Estate Sale a years ago together with other coins."

Once again, the seller warns that "The sale is final". The bidding is at $609.00 as I post this message.

Al of the questionable pieces from this seller have the same message about coming from an
estate sale &&. There was no feedback posted from the last sale of this piece and perhaps
the buyer got wise and refused to pay.

RWJ

The "coin" just sold to "ravinscloseout" for $956.00 (well below the previous "sale" price of $3,787.00).

A genuine Ioann III rouble in similar grade would likely bring about ten times the $956 realized by this questionable piece.