More than 10,000 coins stolen from museum in Bulgaria

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=58776

.... fortunately, they were all fakes. Speaking on condition of
anonymity. American numismatist Reid Goldsborough said, "The loss of
these phony coins is a loss to black cabinets everywhere." The museums
of Bulgaria were looted of genuine items under communism, over 20 years
ago. All that remains are copies, forgeries, phonies, frauds and
knock-offs. This presents a problem to collectors of such items. "We
do not know which fakes are phonies and which frauds are knock-offs,"
said Goldsborough. "Close die matching and careful microscopic
inspection is now impossible." Meanwhile, authorities continue to be
nonplussed.

On 7 Feb 2006 18:35:36 -0800, "Mike Marotta"
wrote:

... fortunately, they were all fakes.

The coins in the *safe* at the Veliko Tarnovo Museum of Sofia were all
fakes? Weird joke, or are you're drunk? Maybe both? I guessed
correctly, right?

Speaking on condition of
anonymity. American numismatist Reid Goldsborough said, "The loss of
these phony coins is a loss to black cabinets everywhere."

Need a comma up there after the first clause, not a period. That's
right, I'm joking too.

The museums
of Bulgaria were looted of genuine items under communism, over 20 years
ago. All that remains are copies, forgeries, phonies, frauds and
knock-offs. This presents a problem to collectors of such items. "We
do not know which fakes are phonies and which frauds are knock-offs,"
said Goldsborough. "Close die matching and careful microscopic
inspection is now impossible." Meanwhile, authorities continue to be
nonplussed.

Try it, you'll like it. Of course you should probably collect genuine
coins first. But creating a black cabinet can add to the allure of
your genuine coins. And along with outright forgeries, there are also
ancient imitatives, modern medals and circulating coins based on
ancient coins, and all the other types of copies that can be fun to
collect ... along with authentic, official coins.

This Sofia museum had stolen some Alexanders. Speaking of Alexanders,
here are Alexander tetradrachm copies I have and what I want. If you
have any of the want-list stuff (preceded by three asterisks) and can
part with it, please let me know, Michael.

Ancient Thracian/Celtic imitative
Ancient Arabian imitative
Ancient Arachosian imitative
Ancient fourree counterfeit
Ancient Thracian/Celtic imitative fourree counterfeit
*** Want: Carl Wilheim Becker counterfeit
Eighteenth or nineteenth century struck counterfeit
*** Want: Constantinos Christodoulou/Athens Master counterfeit
*** Want: Costodoulos/Galvano Boys/British Museum Forger counterfeit
Toronto Forger cast counterfeit
Lebanese School pressed counterfeit
Bulgarian School pressed counterfeit
Electrotype counterfeit
Base metal cast counterfeit
Base metal sand cast tourist fake counterfeit
*** Want: Robert Ready/British Museum electrotype marked replica
J. Paul Getty Museum marked replica
Peter Rosa marked replica
Slavey marked replica
Antiquanova marked replica
Greek Coin Circle marked replica
Alva Museum Reproductions marked replica
Museum Reproductions marked replica
Charlton Mint marked replica
Jewelry unmarked replica in pewter from Greece
Jewelry unmarked replica in clay from Turkey
2000 F.U.N. Show medal

--

Email: (delete "remove this")

Consumer: http://rg.ancients.info/guide
Connoisseur: http://rg.ancients.info/glom
Counterfeit: http://rg.ancients.info/bogos

Mike Marotta wrote:
... fortunately, they were all fakes.


You mean that 5 leva I bought for you in Nessebur is a FAKE? (Refresh
my memory. What kralj bulgarski? What year? I misplaced mine.) I
want my money back!


~Anka

Reid Goldsborough wrote:
The coins in the *safe* at the Veliko Tarnovo Museum of Sofia were all
fakes?

This assumes that there were ever any coins in the vault at all. As I
read the story, it is just as likely that a workshop of coin forgers
used this planted news item to cover their offloading of phony coins.

But creating a black cabinet can add to the allure of
your genuine coins.

To me, the association with fakes, frauds, phonies, counterfeits,
knock-offs and replicas would diminish the value of whatever putatively
"genuine" coins might be comingled with the questionable inventory in
the collection.

Mike Marotta wrote:


To me, the association with fakes, frauds, phonies, counterfeits,
knock-offs and replicas would diminish the value of whatever putatively
"genuine" coins might be comingled with the questionable inventory in
the collection.

Gresham's law in effect.

On 8 Feb 2006 16:33:11 -0800, "Mike Marotta"
wrote:

To me, the association with fakes, frauds, phonies, counterfeits,
knock-offs and replicas would diminish the value of whatever putatively
"genuine" coins might be comingled with the questionable inventory in
the collection.

It depends how you commingle. If you clearly label a piece for what it
is, whether it's official or imitative, ancient or modern, marked or
unmarked, each has its attraction, and each comments in a multitude of
interesting ways about all the others. Besides, I like fakes. You're a
fake, and I like you. Of course, I like the genuine more. You'll
become genuine once you do some genuine numismatic research. Take your
pick: die study, hoard analysis, metrological study, identification of
a new type or variety. Any I missed? Anybody can do a stylistic
analysis, but these are hardly scientific, highly subjective, not very
repeatable or reliable, and frequently overturned. Still, stylistic
matters play an important role. But those penny loafers of yours went
out of style eons ago. Stick a couple of drachms in them and you might
have something.

--

Email: (delete "remove this")

Consumer: http://rg.ancients.info/guide
Connoisseur: http://rg.ancients.info/glom
Counterfeit: http://rg.ancients.info/bogos