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Occupation (OST) iron 1,2,3 kopecks 1916 -PCGS - beware of fakes


Timofei

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Hi, all,
This is to alert you about confirmed massed distribution of iron 'occupation' series dated of 1916. Though the rumors started to appear this Spring, now we have it confirmed that PCGS (and possibly NGC) graded many fakes as Mint State.
 
 

show_file.php?fid=95610&width=400&heightshow_file.php?fid=95615&width=400&height

 

show_file.php?fid=95612&width=400&heightshow_file.php?fid=95611&width=400&height

These fakes are made in Belorussia by a manufacturer URL to fake production factory.  

Apparently many coins were graded by grading companies and many were sold via eBay. For example this seller from Poland sold 12 fakes in the past 2 months: view listings


User globaldjs made a sort of an investigation and he tried to identifyl PCGS numbers for some fake coins as well as their distinguishing features. Please check your collections and make sure you may return the fakes to the sellers. A brief list made by globaldjs is here. You may check the numbers from the list and see the pictures

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It think that the set of the OST series we are discussing was made probably in the second half of 2012. I make this conclusion by the number of messages in the internet indicating rumors about 'Lithuanian hoard', cheap offerings of OST coins and the dates of grading.

 

Speaking in general... The earliest message from the guy of Belorussian 'factory' I found in the web was from 2007, when he had displayed many dies 'made in the past'. As you may see from the URL I posted they are not hiding and their business is quite legal. They make copies and not selling forgeries ))

They even pay taxes I guess )))

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Thanks for letting us know! Actually the seller is known also on the biggest polish auction platform - allegro.pl, he has very similar or maybe the same nickname. And that person is selling regularly OSTs in mint condition - usually 3 coins per auction (looks like he has pretty a number of it) and he always gets about 100USD for it or more.

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If we were discussing a shady seller... The problem is that many people trust the grading companies. A slabbed coing gets good chance of being resold many times without much inspection. Even if the original seller discontinues, slabbed coins may reappear here and there.

 

By the way NGC graded those fakes too.

show_file.php?fid=95698&width=400&height

 

 

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Again and again - a slab means an increase of the price :bgreen:

but it does not mean that the coin is genuine.

In this forum we have seen quite some examples of fakes, ennobled by a slab.

Slabbed coins are dangerous, they cannot be examined closely. Very often it is the edge that gives a fake away

and I think the edge is less visible in a slab (I cannot say that with certainty because I have never touched a slab).

Sigi

-

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It think that the set of the OST series we are discussing was made probably in the second half of 2012.

It is my duty to correct this information. We have got first hand report from a user of coins.lave.ru forum that he purchased 2 of OST series coins (first identical tweens) in February 2011 from a Canadian-Polish seller. So far this is the earliest confirmed date. At that moment the 2 'coins' were not graded.

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