If you are a collector of antique coins then you will know that the buying of such items is fraught with danger because there are so many fraudulent coins on the market. My friend at the Sadigh Gallery in New York was telling me recently that they have seen a significant rise in the number of fakes being found, which is of course why everyone should be absolutely sure that they are doing all that they can to avoid spending money on something which is not genuine. This can happen to anyone of course and if the copy is of a very high standard, which they often are, then you can never guarantee that you won’t pick up a copied coin.
With this being said there is a lot that you can do which will minimize the risk of picking up an antique coin, and here are a few steps which you should consider.
Checking It Out
If you so wish you can get your coins appraised by a professional who will be able to tell you whether or not they are genuine, so that you can have peace of mind. Now of course this is going to cost some money so the best case scenario is that you only use the services of an appraiser wen it comes to investing in a piece which you consider to be expensive. Anything which is not that expensive is probably worth taking the risk on, especially given that most people copy coins in order to make big money, not small change.
Knowledge
Ultimately knowledge is very much power here and the more that you know about a particular antique the better. This not only means that you need to know about its markings or the way that it looks, you should also be fully aware of how it should feel, how it will look based on age, such as how it has oxidized, and you will also need to know what little tricks to look for, that copiers use when they put together the coin. The more knowledge that you have, the better that you will be able to gauge whether or not the piece in your hand is the real deal or not.
Trust Instincts
Ultimately it will be incredibly important that you trust your instincts here, and if something doesn’t like right or if there is something about the sale which you are not completely invested in then just say no. Unless this is a coin which you have had your heart set on for a long time, it is far better to lower the risk of making a mistake with the coin, than to risk your money and your happiness. Based on the knowledge that you have, trusting your own gut is a great way to help you to stay away from buying a copied piece.
Be careful out there and if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. To read more on topics like this, check out the blog category.
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