Story of Fakes Gets New Chapter in China
By F. Michael Fazzari, Numismatic News
Our hobby is under attack in a way that calls for some drastic changes in order to protect the marketplace from a new plague of deceptive counterfeits. In two columns, I’ll trace earlier generations of bogus coins, explore some of the new fakes from China and suggest some possible ways to remedy the problem of these counterfeits. Counterfeiting is probably older than the first coins; while alterations made to items considered as money may have preceded that. Nevertheless, let’s begin well after this period and consider the era of struck coinage. One common form of alteration was “clipping” where small amounts of metal were cut from the edges of coins. This led governments to add various edge ornamentation to coins in order that someone could see the piece was intact and of full weight.
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Lincoln peace medal a private project
By Jeff Starck for Coin World
When Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated president in March 1861, he wasn’t the only one who found gainful employment. Private medalist Salathiel Ellis was quick to seize the opportunity to secure work creating a new Indian peace medal depicting the 16th president. Wasting no time, on March 20, 1861, Ellis submitted a proposal to William P. Dole, the new commissioner of Indian Affairs, less than three weeks after Lincoln’s March 4 inauguration, according to Indian Peace Medals in American History by Francis Paul Prucha.
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More gold fraud likely as economy swoons-US agents
Forbes
Investigators expect to uncover more fraud involving gold in a recession that has already exposed several Ponzi schemes and other crimes, law enforcement officials with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said on Thursday. Agents with the federal agency have been working with the FBI, U.S. prosecutors and other investigators on a series of scams from Ponzi schemes in financial investments and oil futures to gold coins all over the United States
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Two charged with stealing $400,000 in coins
By STEVE SNYDER – LDNews.com (PA)
Two Ephrata men have been accused of stealing more than $400,000 worth of coins from a vehicle in Millcreek Township in October. Austin Hackman, 20, and Kyle Hackman, 18, were charged with theft, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy. They were arraigned before District Judge Christine Heck earlier this week and are incarcerated in the county prison in lieu of $50,000 bail. On Oct. 15, G. Friedrich Schrom told police that someone had stolen coins and other items from a vehicle at 2840 Route 897. Schrom provided police with a list of the stolen items, which totaled $431,460 in value, according to the criminal complaint.
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UNRESERVED MULTI-ESTATE RARE COIN AUCTION
Maine Antique Digest
This sale consists of the contents of 3 Maine estates inc.: hoards of coins still being liquidated from the estate of the renowned, late Capt. Terry Lewis of Boothbay Hrb., Me. Two huge safety deposit boxes from two other estates, one of which was so heavy and full, two men could not carry it. Plus other selected additions from local homes & collections. This sale will turn out to be one of the biggest estate coin sales in Maine this year, and by far our best yet (over 10,000 coins).
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Related posts:

1. Coin News Daily March 11, 2009
2. Coin News Daily March 16, 2009
3. Coin News Daily March 31, 2009
4. Coin News Daily March 26, 2009
5. Coin News Daily March 23, 2009
6. Coin News Daily March 4th, 2009
7. Coin News Daily January 15, 2009
8. Coin News Daily January 10, 2009
9. Coin News Daily January 21, 2009
10. Coin News Daily February 25, 2009