Vent: I spent $80 on a 'guaranteed' Roman coin that turned out to be a modern replica

The seller had a convincing story about a dig in York, but a quick check with a local museum proved it was fake. Anyone else get burned buying artifacts online?

4 comments

4 Comments

ward.tara1mo ago

That York dig story is a classic red flag, they use it for all sorts of fakes. Honestly, any "guaranteed" artifact from an online seller should make you pause. I learned the hard way too, but with a Civil War button that was just a cheap copy. Did the seller offer any kind of refund when you showed them the museum's opinion?

andrew_baker91mo ago

The York dig story is a total scam, but it's not just for all fakes. They use it for coins mostly, sometimes jewelry. For other stuff, like that Civil War button, they usually make up a different story about a family attic or a southern farm find. The "guaranteed" part is always the real warning sign. No legit seller needs to shout that.

luna2615d ago

And now I'm just picturing some scammer sitting at their kitchen table trying to remember which fake story they used for which item. "Wait, did I say this locket came from grandma's attic or did I use the York dig for that one?" @vera29 is right though, the fake history is the whole trick because the item itself wouldn't fool anyone. It's like they're writing bad fanfiction for objects, complete with different plotlines depending on the audience. Pretty sure I saw a "Roman coin" last week with a story about it being found in a squirrel's nest, so maybe they're just getting lazy now.

vera291mo ago

You're right about the attic story too. They use that one for old photos and letters, saying they found them in a grandparent's house. I've seen the same fake Victorian locket listed by three sellers, each with a different "family" story. It's all about building a fake history to make the item feel real, because the object itself can't.