Haven't posted on this site for ages but still see a few familiar names. Just dropped by to share a project I have been working on for quite some time and finally launched a couple months ago. FakeBullion.com is a resource for identifying modern counterfeits. The Fake Bullion Database is a central catalog of known counterfeits featuring side-by-side comparisons and detailed photos. I am working to add new items each week. I have at least a dozen more genuine/counterfeit pairs in hand to document, and I'm looking for the genuine counterparts to dozens more. The Identification section features how-to articles (and videos will come later) explaining various testing methods and tools. There are a few basics I still need to cover, and I'm also working to acquire a couple devices for additional non-destructive testing methods. There is a News section for relevant media stories and a Blog for commentary. There is also a forum for supporting members, and supporting members get to view new entries in the database 60 days before the general public. My way of thanking those who contribute to the site, as it has taken a fair bit of time and money just to get it to this point. I expect a few will be resistant to the idea of making this information available, but it's come to a point where everybody dealing in coins and precious metals needs to be aware of the problem. I wrote more about that idea here. The site is a work in progress, and I suspect it always will be, since the Chinese manufacturers are coming out with improved and new designs regularly. Fakes are becoming a bigger problem and hopefully some will find FakeBullion.com to be a useful resource. I welcome any and all feedback and suggestions. Thanks for taking a look
Your site, Nate, is an excellent service for people like me. Thanks for all the effort you put into it. I'll be signing up for your newsletter. I was looking at a few different products on FakeBullion and one product in particular caught my attention....American Silver Eagles. I believe I have seen (like a couple years ago) BU finish counterfeit ASE's being offered for sale, not just the more common counterfeit proof ASE's. I didn't buy any fakes so I have none to send you but I am wondering if the BU counterfeit ASE's have the same wrong features. .
I have the proof-like fakes and matte finished fakes, several years in each style. The matte finish is much closer to the standard BU finish than the proof-likes, but is still pretty obviously "not right." Both have essentially the same issues with incorrect/crude details. I'm sure we will see improved silver eagles at some point. There are very good tungsten gold eagles out there, but I haven't been able to get my hands on any yet.
