Fake Russian roubles (1870-1874)

[bobh]

This seller in the Ukraine, jemmi-sales, is offering some rare "roubles" now on eBay:

 

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5574633083&toolid=10001&campid=5335826004&customid=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg&icep_item=170749901196

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5574633083&toolid=10001&campid=5335826004&customid=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg&icep_item=170749901591

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5574633083&toolid=10001&campid=5335826004&customid=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg&icep_item=170749901812

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5574633083&toolid=10001&campid=5335826004&customid=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg&icep_item=170749901978

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5574633083&toolid=10001&campid=5335826004&customid=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg&icep_item=170749902153

 

Beware ... I'm sure someone will try to pass these off as the real thing soon.

The easiest giveaway, if you didn't know that they were replicas, is probably the sloppy dates.

[bobh]

These auctions are over now. Two of them went for more than $40, but both to the same bidder (someone with 129 feedback points ... of course, eBay hides the bidders' names nowadays). Another one also went to this same bidder, but for a somewhat lower price.

 

Could be shill bidding, but I'd watch out for any sellers with feedback of 130 or so offering coins like these. I'm saving the auction images for future reference.

[neweden]

I have never in the last 10 years or so had any problems with E Bay, one reason could be that I never even look at coins that have in the heading "RARE" and especially if the seller has the "RARE" coins listed at an extremely low starting bid.

Older Roubles are very hard to find here in the western hemisphere and so my recommendation would be to purchase from a dealer near you.

If it is too good to be true, it more than likely is.

[bobh]

I have never in the last 10 years or so had any problems with E Bay, one reason could be that I never even look at coins that have in the heading "RARE" and especially if the seller has the "RARE" coins listed at an extremely low starting bid.

Older Roubles are very hard to find here in the western hemisphere and so my recommendation would be to purchase from a dealer near you.

If it is too good to be true, it more than likely is.

If you read the auction descriptions, this seller advertised these coins as replicas. Nevertheless, they have a tendency to show up again in later auctions. Yes, the genuine items would be very rare. And the replicas are very convincing. This is why I am publishing this warning (certainly not because I would be buying these myself or anything like that).