The Numismatic Bibliomania Society

PREV ARTICLE       NEXT ARTICLE       FULL ISSUE       PREV FULL ISSUE      

V20 2017 INDEX       E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 20, Number 11, March 12, 2017, Article 15

FAKE CALIFORNIA FRACTIONAL GOLD COINS

Last week we discussed fake Hobo Nickels being offered online. This March 6, 2017 Coin World article by Michael Bugeja deals with fake versions of California fractional gold coins, another recent topic. -Editor

Fake California gold
I keep reporting souvenir tokens as “counterfeit” or “misrepresented,” depending on the lot in question, but the items continue to be sold on Proxibid and eBay. I also email auctioneers and sellers, with no response.

These tokens, usually brass or gold-plated, are routinely described in online auctions by the year, state, denomination and coin, as in the lot in the lower left of the photo above: “1852 ½ California gold coin.”

Every single word of that description is wrong. The token was not manufactured in 1852. It is not a half dollar. It does not come from California but, most likely, from Asia or a U.S. tourist shop. It is not gold. It is not a “coin,” a word that suggests it was minted by the government for commerce.

The reverse of an authentic California fractional gold coin has a denomination on it, such as 1/4, 1/2 and 1 DOLLAR. The word “dollar” is sometimes abbreviated as D. or DOL.

Brass or plated replicas usually have an odd-looking bear on the reverse, just like the one with a current bid of $40 in the lower left of the photo. I suspect that lot will go for $50 to $100 by the time of the auction.

I can buy the same ones at my local coin shop for $1 each.

To learn more about small and token gold, visit Mike Locke’s California Gold website or read my “Home Hobbyist” Coin World column about it.

In the meantime, my hope is that online auction portals do more than merely notify sellers about possible fake or misrepresented coins. Perhaps the best way to get the point across is to email the auctioneer, state your case and then do not bid anymore in his or her sessions.

To read the complete article, see:
FAKE CALIFORNIA GOLD STILL FLOODS ONLINE AUCTIONS (www.coinworld.com/voices/michael-bugeja/2017/03/fake_california_gold.html)

THE BOOK BAZARRE

IF YOU COLLECT NICKELS. . . . . you need the 3rd edition of Whitman Publishing’s MEGA RED (the Deluxe Edition Guide Book of United States Coins). 1,504 pages of in-depth coin-collecting history, data, pricing, market analysis, and more—including an illustrated 314-page feature on Shield, Liberty Head, Buffalo, and Jefferson nickels, covering 545 varieties. Pre-order before April 4, 2017, for $49.95—online at Whitman.com , or call 1-800-546-2995.


Wayne Homren, Editor

Google
 
NBS (coinbooks.org) Web

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com

To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum

PREV ARTICLE       NEXT ARTICLE       FULL ISSUE       PREV FULL ISSUE      

V20 2017 INDEX       E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

Copyright © 1998 - 2020 The Numismatic Bibliomania Society (NBS)
All Rights Reserved.

NBS Home Page
Contact the NBS webmaster

coin