1.
DO NOT ASK ABOUT A COIN YOU ARE CONSIDERING BUYING. If you do not know the coin is genuine and/or do not know the expertise or honesty of the seller, then
DO NOT BUY. It is foolish to buy a coin you do not know from a seller you do not know, even if someone on the internet says it looks OK in a photograph.
2.
DO NOT ASK ABOUT SELLERS. Sellers that have been identified as Notorious Fake Sellers are listed here:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=18502.0. We do not recommend
buying from the sellers on Forum's Notorious
Fake Sellers List (
NFSL). We do not allow screening of other sellers here. If you are looking for a reputable dealer, buy from
Forum Ancient Coins.
3.
ONE coin
per thread. Do not post groups of coins unless you only want opinions on the whole group and not the individual coins in the group. Another exception is if posting multiple coins provides evidence that the coins are fake, post all the coins.
4. Use a descriptive subject. Rather than
writing "Authentication Needed" or "Is it Real?" in the subject heading, include the name of the
type and if it is from a
Notorious Fake Seller.
5. Post only coins you suspect may be fake. Never post coins that you believe are genuine. Here we discuss suspected
fakes, we don't confirm authenticity.
6. Check the
Fake Coin Reports first. If you have checked the
Fake Coin Reports, note in your post if a similar fake coin has been reported or not.
7. If you bought it from
eBay or it is listed on
eBay, check
Forum's Notorious Fake Seller List first and if you bought from or it is offered by a listed seller, note that in your post.
8. Do not name the seller unless they are on
Forum's Notorious Fake Seller List. If the coin is offered on
eBay, you can mention that. If the coin is not on
eBay, do not name the venue or website. Do not give your opinion of the seller,
good or bad.
9. Upload photos, don't link. Don't use links to Image Shack, your own website or any other website to post photos. Upload the photos to the
discussion board. Linked photos eventually become a
red X making the
thread worthless as a reference.
10. Include as much information as possible. Say why you think it might be fake. Include the
weight,
diameter, and
die axis. Include a description and references if possible.
11. Do not include or discuss
price.
12. Do not link to
eBay or any other website.
13.
DO NOT EMAIL OR PRIVATE MESSAGE FORUM STAFF TO TELL THEM YOUR COIN IS ON THE BOARDS FOR AUTHENTICATION. If we have time, we will give a free opinion on the board. Usually another member will
help you before we find time. Our email authentication and ID service costs $45
per coin. Please do not email us for Authentication or ID
help unless you want to pay $45. (The
price is high because we don't want you to ask!)