Monday 5 April 2010

caveat emptor

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EBay seller Ray-Chris seems to sell mostly old crockery, so we'll have to give them the benefit of the doubt I guess when they write that they have for sale: 120553156323, INTERESTING COINS OR TOKENS A METAL DETECTOR FIND OF 7 ITEMS THEY WERE MUDDY SO I GAVE THEM A WASH IN SOAPY WATER BUT I DID NOT POLISH THEM THEY RANGE IN SIZE FROM 3 cm WIDE DOWN TO 1.7 cm WIDE. WHAT I KNOW ABOUT COINS YOU COULD WRITE ON THE BACK OF A POSTAGE STAMP THEY WERE DUG UP NEAR SHERBOURNE IN DORSET. So did Ray-Chris dig them up himself, or did he buy a handful of muddied coins from a dishonest metal detectorist for resale? Now these are obviously fakes, they have the WRL stamped in them, but how many less obvious fakes get onto archaeological databases through being represented as dug up by UK artefact hunters out to make a quick sale? Or genuine objects with false provenances?
(Auction spotted by Ramon Saenz de Heredia)

UPDATE: After being informed by coin dealer Tony Jaworski that the objects were not as he said, we learn that "The seller ended the listing and relisted them as tokens ...". He also dropped the story tyhat they were "dug up near Sherbourne". To judge from the new description Mr Jaworski seems not to have drawn the seller's attention tyo the WRL stamp - otherwise in a truthful descruiption, this information would be mentioned.

1 comment:

John Muccigrosso said...

Paul, I hope you're using the handy eBay link to report these sales. I note that eBay now says:

"Bidding has ended on this item"

 
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