Accueil
Author
Sources
Qumran
Maps
Tooled
SNG27
TJC1
TJC3
H426
Unl. 2
TJC14
H427
H428
H429
H430
H432
TJC21
H433
TJC26
TJC31
INJ13
H437
H438
H439
H440
TJC19
INJ11
INJ15
TJC35
H458
H462
H467
H468
H476
H477
H483
H484
H485
H486.O
H486.R
H487
H488
H489
H490
H490a
H491
H492
H493
H494
H495
H496
H497
H498
H499
H500
H501.O
H501.R
H502
Unl.3
H511
H511a
H516
H521
H528
H531
H533
H534
H535
H539
H540
H541
H544
H546
H549
H550
H552
H554
H555
H557
H558
H561
H574
H635
H643
H644
H648
H649.1
H649.2
H649.3
H649.4
H649.5
H649.6
H649.7
H650
Gems 1
H654
H655
H656
H657
H659.O
H659.R
H660
H662
H663
H665
H666
H667
H668
H669
H670.O
H671
H672
H673
H676
H677
H704
H705

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Examples of "doctored" and fake coins offered for sale

..

 1.  COINS "IMPROVED" BY TOOLING

.The four following pictures are showing a spectacular example of a coin heavily tooled (Herod eight prutot, die R72). On the first tooling (2nd picture) the letters added from 8:00 to 11:00 are very fancy and different than the norm (composite picture at right). After my protestation, the dealer retried it from Ebay before the end of the sale. But eight month later (Jan 29, 2007) the coin was back on Ebay after he removed the fancy letters previously added! (3rd picture). He retried it again before the end of the sale. But on Feb 25 2007, the coin was back again on Ebay, for the 3rd time!

.Another example:

....Two last examples:

                       

...

 2. COINS "IMPROVED" BY PAINTING

..All the coins "improved" by painting are not as ugly as the two examples shown, but the phenomenon is relatively frequent, not only on Ebay:

                         

On the same subject, read: "Comments on Tooling, Smoothing and Numismatic Conservation" by D. Hendin (The Celator, July 2006)

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 3. EVEN THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS COMPANIES CAN MAKE MISTAKES!

..During my researches, I have found several fakes, tooled or painted coins that have been sold by prestigious numismatic companies. Three examples are shown hereafter. Fortunately, this phenomenon is not frequent, and it definitely does not question the integrity and professionalism of these companies:

.

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Hereafter is an attribution error by an authenticating, grading and encapsulating company: