CoinPeople.com > Modern counterfeits minted after 1950s

gxseries

Feb 13 2006, 02:25 PM

Before reading this, I should state the most obvious, which is, DO NOT use counterfeited coins and /or pass them off as genuine if you know they are!!!

As I went through my world coins, I am pretty shocked of how widespread the issue of counterfeiting is.

Some of the examples that I now have is,
Australia 1997 2 dollars
China 1995 1 yuan (12.4cents)
France 1988 10 franc bi-metal
Malaysia 2002 20 sen (and we are talking about 5.3 US cents here!!!)

This is an example of one of the counterfeits, (I accidently left the rest not photographed)

Genuine
user posted image

Counterfeit:
user posted image

The real trouble of this counterfeit coin is that it weighs exactly the same as a typical 2 dollar coin. Although the diameter is slightly better than a typical 2 dollar, the variance is slightly over the permissiable mint technicals. To top the horror, this coin is *USEABLE* in vending machines!!!

It seems that most modern counterfeited coins are targeted to fool vending machines. One of the most notorious incidents was involved with the Japanese 500 yen coin and several thousands were counterfeited and deposited in vending machines.

What are the other stories that you heard, or actually have in your collection? I have heard quite a fair bit of stories which involves counterfeited British 1 pound coins, Japanese 500 yen.

Art

Feb 13 2006, 02:31 PM

That's interesting. It's certainly not obvious from the pics which is real and which is counterfeit.

The only "counterfeit" that I have is a cast Kennedy half that was obviously made for jewelry or such. It's lead with gold paint. Smaller than a real half and much lighter.

jlueke

Feb 13 2006, 04:44 PM

QUOTE(gxseries @ Feb 13 2006, 09:20 AM)

Before reading this, I should state the most obvious, which is, DO NOT use counterfeited coins and /or pass them off as genuine if you know they are!!!

As I went through my world coins, I am pretty shocked of how widespread the issue of counterfeiting is.

Some of the examples that I now have is,
Australia 1997 2 dollars
China 1995 1 yuan (12.4cents)
France 1988 10 franc bi-metal
Malaysia 2002 20 sen (and we are talking about 5.3 US cents here!!!)

This is an example of one of the counterfeits, (I accidently left the rest not photographed)

Genuine
user posted image

Counterfeit:
user posted image

The real trouble of this counterfeit coin is that it weighs exactly the same as a typical 2 dollar coin. Although the diameter is slightly better than a typical 2 dollar, the variance is slightly over the permissiable mint technicals. To top the horror, this coin is *USEABLE* in vending machines!!!

It seems that most modern counterfeited coins are targeted to fool vending machines. One of the most notorious incidents was involved with the Japanese 500 yen coin and several thousands were counterfeited and deposited in vending machines.

What are the other stories that you heard, or actually have in your collection? I have heard quite a fair bit of stories which involves counterfeited British 1 pound coins, Japanese 500 yen.
[right][snapback]157767[/snapback][/right]

Is the fake cast or struck?

Ætheling

Feb 13 2006, 05:53 PM

British £1 coins got ridiculous at one point, there were more forgeries out there than real ones. Okay i'm sure that's a gross over-exaggeration there on my part, but forgeries were an everyday encounter a few years ago. About 1/6 coins were fake.

gxseries

Feb 13 2006, 08:40 PM

It seems like a fake cast copy.

jlueke

Feb 13 2006, 09:26 PM

QUOTE(gxseries @ Feb 13 2006, 03:35 PM)

It seems like a fake cast copy.
[right][snapback]157944[/snapback][/right]

Is there any edge filing visible?

gxseries

Feb 13 2006, 09:42 PM

This is a quick photo that I took:

user posted image

Needless to say, the coin on the top is a counterfeit.

cowhodan

Feb 13 2006, 11:03 PM

Fake current 10 pesos bimetallic coins are often found in circulation, people just dont realize that they are fake, I've found 3 in the last months and I lost 2, they must have accidentally mixed with original coins

Here's a (poorly made) fake 20 pesos coin (from the WBCC galleries)

an original one:

ccg

Feb 14 2006, 12:06 AM

I've had a fake £1 before (edge milling was weak/crude, surfaces "rough"), but never anything else modern. (Interesting, I've been through 2-300 £1 coins, so I'm sure some probably slipped by)

syzygy

Feb 14 2006, 12:16 AM

About a year ago I bought and read this book on the subject:
user posted image

Somewhat disturbing. But, I haven't seen much in my own personal experience - a few bust halves at some shows that were pathetic - that kind of thing.

Scottishmoney

Feb 14 2006, 12:55 AM

I have a fake £1 coin somewhere. They were very very common in change not too long back.

GDJMSP

Feb 14 2006, 03:29 AM

Don't have any pics, but they found several hundred thousand fake Sackies in South America a couple years ago.

People will counterfeit ANY coin, old new - it doesn't matter.

Ætheling

Feb 14 2006, 10:06 AM

QUOTE(ccg @ Feb 14 2006, 01:01 AM)

I've had a fake £1 before (edge milling was weak/crude, surfaces "rough"), but never anything else modern. (Interesting, I've been through 2-300 £1 coins, so I'm sure some probably slipped by)
[right][snapback]158047[/snapback][/right]

Fakes were most prevalent around 2001-3, as 2003 progressed they diminished. Fakes have been recorded for most dates, i have a 1988 fake sat right in front of me as i type this.

Ætheling

Feb 14 2006, 10:07 AM

QUOTE(cowhodan @ Feb 13 2006, 11:58 PM)

Fake current 10 pesos bimetallic coins are often found in circulation, people just dont realize that they are fake, I've found 3 in the last months and I lost 2, they must have accidentally mixed with original coins

Here's a (poorly made) fake 20 pesos coin (from the WBCC galleries)

an original one:

[right][snapback]158011[/snapback][/right]

Interestingly the fake looks nicer to my eye, subtle lines and a warmer colour. Although i can tell clearly it's fake.

tabbs

Feb 14 2006, 02:12 PM

We are "talking" about two different kinds of counterfeited coins here - and while I am (fairly ...) sure that there are no counterfeits in my coin collection, I may well have come across fake circulation coins in everyday life. Here in Euroland the €2 pieces seem to be fairly popular among counterfeiters. Their total (known) number is extremely small compared to the overall number of coins in circulation, but there are quite a few. Here is one that somebody photographed before having it checked ...

user posted image

... and yes, the Bundesbank's Counterfeit Money Unit told him it was a fake. Most vending machines will recognize such counterfeits (which often are "too" magnetic, or not magnetic enough, or fail in the conductivity check, etc.) but pieces that go from hand to hand, so to say, may not be recognized that quickly.

Christian

gxseries

Feb 14 2006, 02:18 PM

Christian, I have heard that the counterfeiters somewhat gave up on counterfeiting 2 Euro coins because of the difficulty of producing, and hence started to counterfeit 50 euro cents because it is not bi-metal. Is this true?

Trantor_3

Feb 16 2006, 06:44 PM

I have a "funny" 1 pound coin, that's said to be fake:

Obverse, 257 KB
Reverse, 219 KB
edge, 87 KB

It's off-centre, thick letters, damaged edge, strange imprint in it, etc. etc. etc.

tabbs

Feb 16 2006, 08:02 PM

QUOTE(gxseries @ Feb 14 2006, 03:13 PM)

Christian, I have heard that the counterfeiters somewhat gave up on counterfeiting 2 Euro coins because of the difficulty of producing, and hence started to counterfeit 50 euro cents because it is not bi-metal. Is this true?

[right][snapback]158193[/snapback][/right]

Good question - I don't know.

Currently the number of fake 50 cent pieces registered by the German Bundesbank, for example, is very low: In the second half of 2005, only 0.5% of the 27,900 counterfeits were 50 cent "coins". 4.2% were €1, more than 95% were €2 pieces.
http://www.bundesbank.de/download/presse/p....falschgeld.php

Even if you "extrapolate" those figures (according to OLAF about 200,000 counterfeit euro coins were registered in all of Euroland in 2005), the number of 50 cent coins is still pretty low, I think. Too low to deduct any statistically significant trend ...

Christian

Ætheling

Feb 18 2006, 07:29 PM

QUOTE(Trantor_3 @ Feb 16 2006, 07:39 PM)

I have a "funny" 1 pound coin, that's said to be fake:

Obverse, 257 KB
Reverse, 219 KB
edge, 87 KB
It's off-centre, thick letters, damaged edge, strange imprint in it, etc. etc. etc.
[right][snapback]158999[/snapback][/right]

Definately fake, you didn't even have to draw Colinesque arrows all over it either, i could spot that one a mile away. Weak naff strike and the legends are the real give away.

ccg

Feb 19 2006, 03:08 AM

QUOTE(Trantor_3 @ Feb 16 2006, 11:39 AM)

I have a "funny" 1 pound coin, that's said to be fake:

Obverse, 257 KB
Reverse, 219 KB
edge, 87 KB
It's off-centre, thick letters, damaged edge, strange imprint in it, etc. etc. etc.
[right][snapback]158999[/snapback][/right]

Mine had that same type of reeding that didn't go from edge to edge, only in the centre. But mine had way better details. Your's looks fake from a mile away!