Wasted $80 on a fake ancient coin from an online auction

Bought a Roman denarius off eBay that looked legit in the photos, but when it arrived it was clearly a modern cast copy with the wrong weight. Has anyone else gotten burned by these replica dealers on auction sites?

3 comments

3 Comments

shanelee24d ago

Man I used to think those video listings were overkill but @the_max is right - after getting burned a couple times I completely changed my mind. Now I won't even look at a listing unless they show the edge and weight on camera.

the_xena24d ago

Wasted $80 on a fake ancient coin" ... that's on you for expecting a deal like that to be real. I actually disagree with @the_max here about those video listings. Most of the time a seller who posts a blurry video with bad lighting is hiding something worse than a few photos. You're paying for their "trust" instead of looking at the coin objectively. And comparing weight to known specs? Please. Fakers are way too good now, they nail the weight and the edge finish on these modern copies. The real trick is just buying from established dealers who guarantee authenticity with a receipt, not gambling on eBay saves.

the_max24d ago

...man that sucks, I've been there. What finally worked for me was sticking to sellers who post a video of the coin on a scale and show the edge details real close, not just fancy pictures. I also started only buying from folks who have a clear return policy and a history of selling authentic coins, not a mix of random antiques. It's a pain, but checking the weight and comparing it to known specs for that specific emperor's reign has saved me a few times since then.