So…….. Unfortunately, I spend some of my spare time “dumpster diving” through eBay’s counterfeit listings for the latest bad examples and the worst forms of so-called “sellers”.
Many continue to prey on the less knowledgeable in the Hobby with multiple, often repeated, fake coin offerings, even after they are reported and removed. So is the case for this seller and this particularly “Bad coin”…
I found a counterfeit 1909-S Indian Head Cent [IHC] in a fake PCGS slab being offered on eBay eBay. The seller’s name is STEPLA_1908 and he/she Joined October 2023, showing 16 feedback. (Known bad eBay seller!)
Based on the Cert number 13845520 from the PCGS Cert Lookup page page, The genuine coin was sold by Heritage on Aug 15, 2007 as Lot 7163
The online cert has no image but the Heritage site still has the archived Lot, so we can see images of this “loser” counterfeit [left] and compare it to the genuine example below [right].
Once the listing was removed, the seller tried 2 more times to post and sell this fake.
After having reporting seller STEPLA_1908 and having those listings removed, he appeared to have gone dormant for a short period. Then suddenly, a new seller account showed up, from the same listed location- Pottsville, Pennsylvania and trying to push the same Fake “Certified coin”; coincidence? I think not!
The saga continues. The coin magicly gets relisted, again. [see below] under a “different Seller account, Ingodsgr24.
And ammazingly, Bidding rose to $635.00, until it was once again removed by eBay, saving another person from themselves.
This “new” seller apparently did some homework, as he created an image with a crude “Heritage Auctions” label on the reverse.
One note though, the barcode on the fakes does scan correctly with my barcode scanning software, so these insert labels are better than most fakes we usually see. Again eBay removed the listing, so now what? ……Well, no disappointment here!
The Seller STEPLA_1908, triedto offload the fake again, but this time, he cracked the coin out of the salb abd was trying to sell it raw! [See listing below]
Terrible images, terrible coin. Swing and a miss and then its gone again!
Then the coin shows up once more, with the original fake sellers “alter ego” account of Ingodsgr24, and offers the same coin once again.
I’m thinking now they have listed so many different counterfeits and lost track of where they were- 1909-S VDB? And what about the $151.00 bid level? I suppose eBay saved another potential victim when they removed Ingodsgr24 seller account and his other 8 bad listings.
Both sellers [STEPLA_1908 and Ingodsgr24] have been reported to eBay with countless images of others alternately listed. I am curious if eBay will step up and get serious about this problem, or just let these bad actors continue to try to dupe unsuspecting and inexperienced buyers. So much for protecting your customers.
As I was finishing this piece and getting eBay to remove this seller’s junk, STEPLA_1908 relisted 7 bad ”coins” including another of the bad 1909-S IHCs. And with these listings he added an even more hilarious note “proving” authenticity!” [SEE BELOW a Fraudulent “Invoice”] used to “prove” this listing is legit.
Instead of reporting this all over….. AGAIN!, I sent another note to eBay about the seller and his latest listings and asked if I should turn a blind eye and let them run the 2 days they were listed for. I was pleased with the result: Ebay Posted that “STEPLA_1908 was NO longer a Registered User”
Trying to finish this article, I sent a copy to my friend and fellow counterfeit researcher Jack Riley, only to find he was working on a draft about counterfeit 1908-S IHCs. Talk about 2 people on the same page! And coincidentally both the 1908-S and 1909-S counterfeits share a common reverse.
And of course, it isn’t over until it’s over. Jack Riley found a 3rd connected seller offering a 1909-S IHC as well; Pottsville Pennsylvania looks like the new hotbed for these scammers.
Be aware, and use all the available resources at your disposal. And if you are not sure, Ask a person you can Trust who is knowledgable!
Best, Jack
Author Note: While continuing “dumpster diving”, I came across the genuine 1909-S coin, in an authentic PCGS holder, with the real Cert Number. It had recently been sold on eBay on September 3rd by Aercus Numismatics with decent images included. And it sold for $1 995.00. !
This article was originally reviewed and discussed on FrostByte’s Sun morning Chit Chat. – Video Below
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The post Jack Young’s Fun with Fakes- Bad Bay sellers and a not-PCGS 1909-S Indian appeared first on CoinWeek: Rare Coin, Currency, and Bullion News for Collectors.
