Local shops are now heavily distributing the 2009 & 2010 Royal Standard pound coin, in its full shiny glory, but I have yet to see the 2010 London and Belfast pound coins in circulation, and the 2011 Cardiff & Edinburgh coins are due for release soon, according to Royal Mint.
How long will it be before we see these designs ''replicated''??
100 Spotter Points on offer!!!!
Thursday 23 December 2010
Its getting near Christmas and no-one has time to check their change!!
Since my last blog entry, things have started to rise again in the ''Fake Stakes'' as previously national publicity fades away until the next banner headline.
Anyway, to add to my list of personally seen fakes, I can now add;
2000 Welsh Dragon - very good one, took me ages to decide its validity...or lack of it!!
2001 Celtic Cross - one of the most common fakes
2006 Egyptian Arch
and it had to happen sooner or later,
2008 Royal Standard - am convinced this is a fake but am still pondering
Anyway, to add to my list of personally seen fakes, I can now add;
2000 Welsh Dragon - very good one, took me ages to decide its validity...or lack of it!!
2001 Celtic Cross - one of the most common fakes
2006 Egyptian Arch
and it had to happen sooner or later,
2008 Royal Standard - am convinced this is a fake but am still pondering
Saturday 16 October 2010
Newest Fake is my Newest Fake
Having not blogged on this subject for a while as the recent fakes I've gathered have been ones that I've previously recorded on my own lists, this month I've got two I'd never personally had before but assume others have already seen and recorded.
First I got about 3 weeks ago, a 3 Lions pound coin with the year date of 1991
Then when collecting my football betting winnings at the ground after todays match, I got.........a Millenium Gateshead Bridge with the year date of 2008 (when this coin should actually be a 2007).
DN, have you got one of these?
First I got about 3 weeks ago, a 3 Lions pound coin with the year date of 1991
Then when collecting my football betting winnings at the ground after todays match, I got.........a Millenium Gateshead Bridge with the year date of 2008 (when this coin should actually be a 2007).
DN, have you got one of these?
Saturday 31 July 2010
NCP Don't Take but They Do Give!!
Most of the coin-operated machines at modern day car parks have machines that can detect fake coins, so even if you did try to pass off a fake, you couldn't.
However it doesn't stop them putting fakes in the change dispenser section of the machine!
Only this morning did I park at an NCP car park and return to the car with £3.10 to pay at the machine. As I only had a £20 note on me, I fed it into the machine and hey presto 16 one pound coins and the 90p, all in change.
One of the £1 coins was a 2003 Ornamental Arms fake...now how did it get into the change. Obviously it was put there on purpose by an NCP employee............how many more are in that machine waiting to be dispensed???
DOUBLE STANDARDS ME THINKS!!
However it doesn't stop them putting fakes in the change dispenser section of the machine!
Only this morning did I park at an NCP car park and return to the car with £3.10 to pay at the machine. As I only had a £20 note on me, I fed it into the machine and hey presto 16 one pound coins and the 90p, all in change.
One of the £1 coins was a 2003 Ornamental Arms fake...now how did it get into the change. Obviously it was put there on purpose by an NCP employee............how many more are in that machine waiting to be dispensed???
DOUBLE STANDARDS ME THINKS!!
Sunday 13 June 2010
Increase of Fakes in my change
After having a few 'lean' months I've noticed that May and June have been more busy on the fake front, with a couple of new types that I'd heard about before but never seen personally.
I suppose the longer the effects of the recession last, the more we will see in any event.
I suppose the longer the effects of the recession last, the more we will see in any event.
Monday 26 April 2010
April 'Fakewatch' Part 2
Today (Monday 26th April) I got a handful of pound coins in my change and immediately my 'trained' eye was drawn to a particular coin.
Having inspected it, it turned out to be my first Royal Ornamental Arms dated 1996 (which should be Irish Celtic Cross). The edge lettering was as close to being perfect as probably can be achieved but the Llantrissant mark was slightly wrong and they've also included the dot that occurs on the Bridge series, (2004 till 2007), coins between the curved wavy lines.
Keep looking....
Having inspected it, it turned out to be my first Royal Ornamental Arms dated 1996 (which should be Irish Celtic Cross). The edge lettering was as close to being perfect as probably can be achieved but the Llantrissant mark was slightly wrong and they've also included the dot that occurs on the Bridge series, (2004 till 2007), coins between the curved wavy lines.
Keep looking....
Friday 23 April 2010
April 'FakeWatch'.....so far
After going through a 'barren' period of not seeing many fakes and thinking that finally the word has got round and more people are aware of the problem, then April comes along and has been a month long 'Fools Day' joke, with me having received 6 fakes in the month.
Irish Flax 89, (when 89 is meant to be Scottish design) - This is my second one ever of this type
Welsh Dragon 2000
Irish Celtic Cross 2001 - With bust almost 180 degrees wrong
Irish Celtic Cross 2001 - Wrong font on edge lettering
Ornamental Arms 2003
Forth Bridge 2004
So a variety of types over the month, roll on May!!
Irish Flax 89, (when 89 is meant to be Scottish design) - This is my second one ever of this type
Welsh Dragon 2000
Irish Celtic Cross 2001 - With bust almost 180 degrees wrong
Irish Celtic Cross 2001 - Wrong font on edge lettering
Ornamental Arms 2003
Forth Bridge 2004
So a variety of types over the month, roll on May!!
Sunday 28 March 2010
Opened My Mouth Too Soon
No sooner do I mention and blog that things have been a bit slow on the fakes front, I've been down to the shops (Co-Op and my local newsagents) and come home with £21 in loose £1 coins, from a starting £30.
Upon checking these 21 coins, I found two fakes. The first was a 2002 3 Lions, where the head and lions line up almost perfectly but what gave it away was the incorrect font type around the edge of the coin and no '+' Llantrissant mint mark between the end of Tutamen and the start of Decus. A good quality fake though.
The other scores a 10 out of 10 in my 'fakes' collection. Its a 1990 Welsh Leek design with the 2nd Queen Portrait. The lettering around the side was spot on when compared with 'real' 1990 coins. What drew my attention was that as a 1990 coin it had been supposedly circulating for 20 years but shows no signs of wear and tear. Perhaps from an Uncirculated Set that someone has had to use as spare change. Ok I thought of that and there was still something else that wasn't quite right.
When I reviewed the Leek design again, I noticed that it was slightly offcentre and the standard beading and edge detail was very near the actual edge of the coin itself on the left hand side, suggesting some sort of stamping process onto a blank disc that was perhaps not fully lined up.
If it took me nearly 20 minutes to come to the decision that it was fake, then imagine how many people it would fool if it was just in a handful of loose change passing from one person to another.
Upon checking these 21 coins, I found two fakes. The first was a 2002 3 Lions, where the head and lions line up almost perfectly but what gave it away was the incorrect font type around the edge of the coin and no '+' Llantrissant mint mark between the end of Tutamen and the start of Decus. A good quality fake though.
The other scores a 10 out of 10 in my 'fakes' collection. Its a 1990 Welsh Leek design with the 2nd Queen Portrait. The lettering around the side was spot on when compared with 'real' 1990 coins. What drew my attention was that as a 1990 coin it had been supposedly circulating for 20 years but shows no signs of wear and tear. Perhaps from an Uncirculated Set that someone has had to use as spare change. Ok I thought of that and there was still something else that wasn't quite right.
When I reviewed the Leek design again, I noticed that it was slightly offcentre and the standard beading and edge detail was very near the actual edge of the coin itself on the left hand side, suggesting some sort of stamping process onto a blank disc that was perhaps not fully lined up.
If it took me nearly 20 minutes to come to the decision that it was fake, then imagine how many people it would fool if it was just in a handful of loose change passing from one person to another.
Saturday 27 March 2010
Slow Going On Fake Collecting.....Perhaps A Good Thing!!
I haven't posted on this website for quite a while but its really because I haven't got much to report other than I've noticed that perhaps due to the increased awareness of fakes, over the last 4 or 5 months I've probably only had about a dozen more and they are all of types I'd previously identified.
Many people I talk to, who previously weren't aware of the problem, are now able to spot fakes for themselves.
In a very very strange way I'd hate to see the fakes completely eradicated as its a section of coin collecting thats a little bit different to the norm.
Anyway, on with my anorak!!!
Many people I talk to, who previously weren't aware of the problem, are now able to spot fakes for themselves.
In a very very strange way I'd hate to see the fakes completely eradicated as its a section of coin collecting thats a little bit different to the norm.
Anyway, on with my anorak!!!
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