FORVM's Notorious Fake Sellers List

[Joe Sermarini]

This thread is for identification of eBay IDs of intentional fake sellers.  The sellers listed below are frauds.  The list is long but many are the multiple eBay IDs of the same people (a few of the aliases are identified as such below).  When their negative feedback builds these sellers abandon their current ID and get a new one.   

Last update: 21 January 2010

**imprial***coins**
*****spqr*****  (not the same as the legitimate seller s*p*q*r)
01.maximus
0176*turalo
1126coins             (aka wcrs84)
2big1q4u
300rarecoins
333omega, 
9722louis               (aka primagerma and youg)
9935steph
activ_coin_art_78
Aitnacoins
Alexandriacoins
alikoki66
anastasiya1917
ancientbulkseller
ancient-shop_com (aka romanseller and berwyn)
andy-montana
ant1234antik
Anticorus21
antiekmuntenhandel
antika99                (aka sanfoura852)
antiquehobby1
aothentica
apv0035
arizonastate
artifacts.uk
ARTIFACTSUK
basquewolf
batibaleno
bellarts2004
ber1yn
berwyn                  (aka ancient-shop_com and romanseller)
bestsells4u
bidancient              (aka EFTIS, NOT related to buyancient.com)
bigarhold_123
bigerharry
biloxi.99
black.moggie1
bonni12
boroves
borovez
bridal.fashion
brotherscommerce
bugsys.bar
bulshop555
bveltchev
byblosantiques
caesar_antiques
caesars.emporium
chalco13
chicho61
Clairecoins
cliff*
cimolais2005
Coclico21
coinartefact01
coindad1951
coinsgalleryauctionco
coinshanter
coinsshopantic
coins-stantinus
cosii.sp.legv.roma.leg1
c.silversto
Daciacoins
dalp-s
danny1970000
debbylastcall
decussius
des552009
desimone_1  (Not a fake seller but stole photos from Forum's catalog and claimed they were sent by customers who found them in their uncleaned coins.)
detritusvt
devidc332
diadumenianus
dianisimo
Didacticus
djon-edgar
djosefina7329
doublevision.81
EFTIS                     (aka bidancient)
empire_gallery      (aka obsolete and spes-pvblica)
estatedoctor
Eugenius Coins
eurocoinsauctions
expo-antichita
fantastical112
fk1122
fletch17390
forgettherestiamthebest
FRIJO
Georgeinasaint
gossef
handydandymon
hannbenm
halloween_030757
haselmus3
helgavonwil
historic_coins
honda.4wd
horehnejad1000
horusthegreat
iancoins
igorko61
imperatorial
iradedios88
iroczzzz
jademo04
Jclouis
jademo04
jakalsearch
jardigar                  (Eugene Deleu aka numis18)
Jclouis                    (website ARTNUMISMA)
j.i.w.1972
johnjulie2122
jorestes (aka kaeleti)
julia_pia
Julius-nepos
Julius_nepos
juliusverus
kaeleti (aka jorestes)
Kamon8574
karakalas
karkor10
kkocc8785
ladismr1948
lancoins
lepabrena19
Legion8
legion_8
legion_vi
legion_viii
lepka1948
lotenius 1er
Louisbonie
louisbonie
lucarositobia2007
m_davidson03
machkatadm
machthappy
Magnence26  (AKA Lucilla60)
maniahistoria1
mangizite-2008
maygo 3
marmarnas
Marcantere 10
mazagurini
maximinus435
middle.earth
millenniumantiques1
mirijana1957
monetata
Moonlord67
mrjones66
mrsmith66
my-collection1
nao0035
nero033
niniogn1962
nogni
Numis18
numis-rares
naumthai_heirloom
obsolete                (aka empire_gallery and spes-pvblica)
oh.freddy.freddy    (aka caesars.emporium)
ottogalba
pegusasancientcoins
Peshkathecat2      (Irena Petrov aka Alexandriacoins, starbukx)
platon12345
plotina_2007
pontios51
pr.daly
primagerma           (aka youg and 9722louis)
rajusha.123
Rozaoo35
rita2091
roma_coins
romancoins1***
romanseller           (aka ancient-shop_com and berwyn)
romanumismatics   (NOT related to the VCoins shop Roma Numismatics LTD)
romanprosecutor
samler1960
samir-banut
salted
salvsavg
samibanut
sanfoura852          (aka antika 99)
saxby coins
Saxbys-coins
Sboogie1968
Second-hand_shop_123
searchcoin
Serdiko
shop0035
shopeu-bg
Simon_hazl
snt0035
spes-pvblica         (aka empire_gallery and obsolete)
Sportjanne
staltod
starbukx               (aka Peshkathecat2)
sumpton_boro
sylvester.ekaterina
tangraantiquities
tb_88288838*
tbjuacw
theroyalsocietyofbritishexploration
tiflis73
tonita0035
topo0035
trakart081
tresvirimonetales
triple.diamond
trump***
vergina**
vesp82
vesko25
victoriantiquities
viorel6789
wannarat98
wcrs84                  (aka 1126coins)
wickey666
Wildwide-2008
wnasr23
xitancients
xovana
youg                      (aka primagerma and 9722louis)
yvonne4652
zlatina5931
zlshop

[buyancient]

Greetings,
I am new to this list. My expertise is in authentication, restoration and sales of Egyptian, Classical and Pre-Columbian antiquities. My site is www.buyancient.com and I would hope that you do not mistake me for "bidancient", a.k.a. Eftis Paraskevaides. He sells almost as many fakes as Merdad Sadigh in New York. For fun (and at his expense) you should order a catalogue from www.sadighgallery.com as a guide to "What's Fake".
Best Regards,
Ben Wallis
Wallis Gallery of Antiquities
www.buyancient.com
ben@buyancient.com

[Robert_Brenchley]

Don't worry; nobody else's auctions look remotely like EFTIS'! I don't think anyone would mistake you for him.

[buyancient]

Hi Robert,
Eftis said to me that he renamed his ebay user id to emulate my reputation. A compliment I don't need.
Eftis was spotted at Bonhams auctions twice last year buying all the items (and there were LOTS) described as "Not Ancient". He then turned around and listed all on ebay described as "Ancient".
I would venture 40% of his offerings are forgeries. And, please do distinguish the difference between a "tourist trinket" and a "forgery". One is designed to decieve. Eftis and I have had a number of confrontations, both public and private. If you google his name Eftis Paraskevaides" you'll get a real flavour for what this guy is all about.
Apparently, he recently had a stroke, and his son Costas has taken over the "Robber Barony". We'll see what affect this course of events has.
Regards,
Ben Wallis

[Congius]

For fun (and at his expense) you should order a catalogue from www.sadighgallery.com as a guide to "What's Fake".

He's got some interesting "Roman" coins there:

http://www.sadighgallery.com

Ben

[wolfgang336]

Next fun fact! Eftis has has had some "issues" with his proffessional career as well...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1069070.stm

Evan

[aragon6]

Well fortunately I only got burned once for a small amount by legion_8 on a Faustina II Salus.  You live and learn........caveat emptor.  I will just never bid on his stuff again.

[Commodo73]

Thanks for informations Joe !

[bpmurphy]

I've never been to Sadigh's site before. Thanks for the links.

I really like his Roman marble heads. His oil lamps are also "fascinating". Not a single oil lamp, Roman, Greek or Holy Land is authentic. I wish his Athena head ot Lysimachos head oil lamp was ancient. They's be worth  much more than he's asking.

Check out his Cycaldic Idol. Not Cycaldic, not ancient.

I'll keep looking for something authentic. This is kind of fun.

Barry Murphy

[lv88]

I also saw his roman artifacts.

Look at this:

http://www.sadighgallery.com/img/roman/12212.jpg

The eyes are quite "fascinating".  I wonder if one were to turn this over, there would be a "made in china" inscription on the bottom.

[*Alex]

Even his Roman nail is unlike any of the genuine ones I have seen, added to that I have seen genuine ones for sale for less than he wants for his fake.

Alex.

[Vladimir]

I wonder, why does he have only 16 negative feedback versus 3500 positives? How is it possible?

[Robert_Brenchley]

A lot of people wouldn't know the difference, that's what he trades on. Then not everyone will neg him since they may be scared of retaliation.

[burpos]

Notice that all of the bidders on his items have their identities protected.  That really should be a HUGE tip-off to people about the veracity of this guy!

[Ghengis Jon]

I just received my Sadigh catalogue.   What a grin.  Even the crappy black and white photos can't disguise the basement built 'antiquities' he sells.   Unfortunately, the photography isn't good enough to use it as a what not to buy reference.

[Ambrosius Aurelian]

Thankyou all very much for your extremely kind assistance, you have just saved me from wasting some money !!

Merry Christmas to you all

Thanks

Cal (aka AmbrosiusAurelianus) ...dunno what happened to my "us", it seems to have fallen off my registered name !! Maybe my name is just too long for the system 

[Rupert]

A seller on German Ebay, "coinshanter", sells very similar stuff as sanfoura852 and antika99 did before. Here is an example:

[Bronken link removed by admin]

May all his teeth fall out and only one remain left, for toothache!

Rupert

[Federico A]

Hi all,

has anyone kept updated the list of known fake sellers (listing the occasional fake sellers too)?
They're so many that is getting hard to remember them all

Best, F.

[Joe Sermarini]

I update it whenever someone suggests an addition or deletion and I agree.  Let me know here when an name should be added.

[Rupert]

Hi all,

has anyone kept updated the list of known fake sellers (listing the occasional fake sellers too)?
They're so many that is getting hard to remember them all

Best, F.

This is a problem, I think. An occasional fake can happen to each of us. Being listed by name here should be reserved for the real crooks.

Rupert

[peterpil19]

I propose that "Alexandriacoins" of eBay be added to the list (http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZalexandriacoins). I have watched their auctions for a while and am pretty convinced that they sell many fake and tooled coins.


See post in For sale section (thread: tooled claudius sestertius) where Postvmvs points out that this seller is most likely the deemed fake seller Imperational.


Also see the following CFDL discussion: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CoinForgeryDiscussionList/message/16643

--Peter

[Miguel D]

Add please Magnence26 in your list.

[Joe Sermarini]

Any comments on the two recommendations in the two posts immediately preceding this post?

[Miguel D]

Any comments on the two recommendations in the two posts immediately preceding this post?

I consider Alexandriacoins as honest. I've bought 1 denarius of young Commodus and it was genuine. His photos are crappy ... We don't see details ... In reality, his coins are much better than the photos ! For coins of Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus, Aurelius and Commodus, I've never seen fakes sold by him ...

Please, if he sell fakes, post the photos.

This link don't contain the photos:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8356459914

For Magnence26, there was already a discussion:

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=28635.0

Fast all his coins are fakes ...

[Miguel D]

All Hadrian denarii seems to be genuine:

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZalexandriacoins

I don't think we should add Alexandriacoins in our black list.

But we should add Magnence26. Here is one of his new fakes:

http://cgi.ebay.com/MG-TRES-RARE-PERTINAX-den-LAETITIA-TEMPOR_W0QQitemZ8424281594QQcategoryZ66801QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem