Ok, so this is how I understand it, and I expect each one of you to correct me when I am wrong. I can only speak of US here becasue I have no expirience outside the US. So here it is...

An origional coin is minted. It is a coin.

A copy is minted 100 years later. The Mint at this point puts the word "COPY" on the coin. This is a copy of a coin sold for profit, just like any other goods in the US.

A copy of the same coin is "minted" in china and brought over in some guys pocket to the US for his collection. He knows it is fake, what it looks like is of no issue to the question here. A few months later he wants to sell his collection. Can he sell this coin?

A quick search on ebay for "counterfeit coin" brings up only books. This leads me to beleieve this is illeagal.

So why, even when it is advertised as a counterfeit and sold as a copy, is it illeagal to sell these?

(I can see how people makeing there own money and printing there own bills could cause confusion, but I thought it interesting to bring up and discuss)

-Bobby

Since 1973 and the passage of the Hobby Protection Act it has been illegal to buy, sell, or import into the U.S. any replica of a coin unless said item is stamped with the word COPY.

There is absolutely nothing illegal about the possession of items either created or imported into the U.S. prior to that date. It IS illegal to try to pass them into commerce as money, however.

There's been a million or two words on this topic in rcc and I am still not sure of the legalities. My best opinion is that it is technically illegal to posses counterfeits of obsolete coins (something about contraband) but there is practically no chance you will ever get arrested, confiscated or whatver for it if you don't pass them in actual circulation.

Yes, and most of them are WRONG!!!










They MUST be. They disagree with me.

I think you are making the matter too big. The moral of the story is this: As long as you know it's a counterfeit and bought it as it is, then you are fine. And if you know if it's a counterfeit and try to sell it as a counterfeit, then it's fine too. If you don't know, THEN you have to state it as possible counterfeit. Of course, that is where the problem lies.

But the real problem is, if you know if it's a counterfeit and tried to sell it as a genuine one, I should notify the Mafia ™ groups to go after your body parts

Like Reid says on his site:

http://rg.ancients.info/guide/counterfeits.html

It is not illegal but you have to surrender them if the gov't asks you to and they have confiscated some in the past so it is best to keep these legal counterfeit coins quietly in a black cabinet.

Those types of 'gray' areas are what I leave to the lawyers to discuss. It doesn't make enough sense for my brain.

Go over to RCC and mention counterfeits, and you will find scarier scenarios than the mafia.

No kidding! The Mafia ain't got nothing to be scared of compared to that debate in rcc!

I looked at RCC again recently, wow!, same old bashing, humiliating, name calling etc. Too bad there is little content worth viewing there.

And it is the same people doing it, you would think they would grow up.

It is legal to hold the counnterfeits, but they must be surrendered if requested. However in the original posting he mentioned bringing unmarked copies made in China into the country. That IS illegal. And selling unmarked copies made after 1973, even if you sell them AS copies, is also illegal.

Other than the obvious copies of coins dated 1973+ how would anyone know when the coin was "minted" to enforce that? Or is that simply the point, to not have any unmarked copies dated 1973+?

-Bobby

That's one of the major problems with the hobby protection act. How do you tell when an unmarked copy was made? But you can't make earlier ones illegal.