Fakes: quality (slowly and not expertly) is on the raise

[Richard LaTondre]

Thanks for the excellent series of articles, But please remember what I always reccomend. Look at the reverse. That is the giveaway! It is mostly unfinished. unpolished, and/or unplated. It rarely has the correct hardware and the seals/engraving is incorrect. This should be one of the first steps in the examination of suspect medals!

Richard

[JapanX]

Thanks for the excellent series of articles, But please remember what I always reccomend. Look at the reverse. That is the giveaway! It is mostly unfinished. unpolished, and/or unplated. It rarely has the correct hardware and the seals/engraving is incorrect. This should be one of the first steps in the examination of suspect medals!

Richard

If only all modern fakes were that easy! ;)

[JapanX]

And another portion of these quasi rare beauties.

Straight from eBay. Piping hot!

First will be this (direct quote!)

"Republic of china Yuan Shih-kai martial attire Hongxian era Warlords scuffle”

Yummy!

Let’s take a look!!!

[JapanX]

Full palette of colors (seven!) + clean hands of seller

[JapanX]

Notorious reverse

[JapanX]

And another beauty that was described as

“Kuomintang cloud magic medal blue sky white clouds army warlords medal”.

A little bit tangled “not for beginners” description!

Edited April 4, 2012 by JapanX

[JapanX]

Obverse (one star is missing and enamel chips … this piece must be really old )

[JapanX]

Good ol' boy reverse

[mickey]

hi nick just want to add recently 4 faked (copied?) 2600 anniversary medals appeared on our local auction site passable obverse from a distance plain reverse totally incorrect ribbon (same shape but wrong colours) as well as 2 capital rehabilitation medals as per the anniversary medals,both medals had ring suspension devices rather than the usual square devices both from the same seller who said that they were bought from a antiques market in china sold onsite as japanese medals with no other details i think this is quite clever as new collectors see japanese medals and buy on impulse without checking i note that 2 of the anniversary medals sold for $100 nz around $85 us each !!! i missed what happened to the remainder hopefully i can get photos to post if more appear

[JapanX]

hi nick just want to add recently 4 faked (copied?) 2600 anniversary medals appeared on our local auction site passable obverse from a distance plain reverse totally incorrect ribbon (same shape but wrong colours) as well as 2 capital rehabilitation medals as per the anniversary medals,both medals had ring suspension devices rather than the usual square devices both from the same seller who said that they were bought from a antiques market in china sold onsite as japanese medals with no other details i think this is quite clever as new collectors see japanese medals and buy on impulse without checking i note that 2 of the anniversary medals sold for $100 nz around $85 us each !!! i missed what happened to the remainder hopefully i can get photos to post if more appear

Hi Mickey,

terrible and (at the same time ) exiting news!

I never saw or heard about faked 2600 (kinda strange choice ) and rehabilitation (a little bit more justified choice) medals!

It will be really nice to see them.

Cheers,

Nick

[JapanX]

Check this out!

Fakes in different classes!

Obverses

[JapanX]

Please pay special attention to nicely aged ribbons!

But how we could differentiate between these beauties?

Where is 1^st class and where is 3^rd?

The inscriptions are identical, dude on all three badges is practically the same (well, actually here and there we have small differences, but personally I blame hand finishing!) only the colors are different.

Good thing we have reverses!

Here they are.

[JapanX]

Reverses

[hc8604]

I have seen that set, but I have no idea on those medals. What basis are they from? If those ribbons are fake... where can I get some? I need some for some of my medals that are missing those ribbons.

The medals seem to have better qualities than the typical fakes. This one has painted enamel, but the paint job is not that bad. The middle one seem to have silver toning on the edge. I have never seen it on the fakes like that. But the color on it is a bit grey and silver is suppose to be whiter. They should test it for silver.. it maybe possible! :whistle:

[hc8604]

Obverse (one star is missing and enamel chips … this piece must be really old )

The 7th class never existed as a breast badge. Right now, the fakers have released the correct version. It looks almost real.. but not silver or have a ribbon. I tried to explain it to the main history guy from the Flying Tiger Historical Organization and he insists it exists (even though I have seen him sell the same medals on ebay and his buying history shows he bought many from China lol). I told him to post his Chinese medals on OMSA forum, but he says he is "too busy." Speaking of.. anybody heard of that organization before?

[Dieter3]

hi nick just want to add recently 4 faked (copied?) 2600 anniversary medals appeared on our local auction site passable obverse from a distance plain reverse totally incorrect ribbon (same shape but wrong colours) as well as 2 capital rehabilitation medals as per the anniversary medals,both medals had ring suspension devices rather than the usual square devices both from the same seller who said that they were bought from a antiques market in china sold onsite as japanese medals with no other details i think this is quite clever as new collectors see japanese medals and buy on impulse without checking i note that 2 of the anniversary medals sold for $100 nz around $85 us each !!! i missed what happened to the remainder hopefully i can get photos to post if more appear

Mickey,

Do you have any photos of these medals? What auction site are you referring to?

[mickey]

hi dieter our local auction site is trade me nz (trademe.co.nz) we do get some strange looking medals and badges being sold as japanese they usally come in bursts then disapear for a few months these were the first i have seen with copies of actual japanese medals on the obverse i missed most of the auctions for these medals due to work and did not think of taking a photo at the time but will post photos if i see more

[mickey]

hi dieter our local auction site is trade me nz (trademe.co.nz) we do get some strange looking medals and badges being sold as japanese they usally come in bursts then disapear for a few months these were the first i have seen with copies of actual japanese medals on the obverse i missed most of the auctions for these medals due to work and did not think of taking a photo at the time but will post photos if i see more

[Dieter3]

Thanks Mickey. Yeah, the 2600th Year Anniversary medal - no doubt an odd one to fake, given the commonality of really good (authentic!) pieces and low prices to go with them! Doesn't make much sense.

[JapanX]

I have seen that set, but I have no idea on those medals. What basis are they from?

How you been HC?

Basis - pure fantasy! In some sense these are pure phalerstical pieces

Some crazy mix of Warlords era decorations and modern Taiwan ones.

I need some for some of my medals that are missing those ribbons.

Yep. The ribbons looks really nice for usual modern "made in China" fakes.

I guess this is another little step toward perfection

... where can I get some?

I don't think that they sell them separately

The medals seem to have better qualities than the typical fakes.

These are the stars of our show

Crème de la crème of chinese fakes!!! :lol:

Edited April 9, 2012 by JapanX

[JapanX]

I tried to explain it to the main history guy from the Flying Tiger Historical Organization and he insists it exists (even though I have seen him sell the same medals on ebay and his buying history shows he bought many from China lol). I told him to post his Chinese medals on OMSA forum, but he says he is "too busy." Speaking of.. anybody heard of that organization before?

"Main history guy" of "Flying Tiger Historical Organization" ...

No wonder he is "too busy"

"...sell the same medals on ebay and his buying history shows he bought many from China"

Too many good things?! Even for "main history guy" of Flying Tigers :lol:

Regards,

Nick

[hc8604]

Hi Nick, doing well, you?

I was trying to find the pictures of the newer ones, but I never saved them. It will probably be posted again later.

~Hsin

[marrauder]

I saw japanese awards very similar to those Nick presented on eBay few weeks ago. There was also Rising Sun breast badge, if I remember correctly. And although I am surely not very experienced collector of japanese stuff, I passed it quickly. For me there were suspicious only three things:

1. Chinese man

2. is offering very cheaply

3. too much rare awards in one time.

I know every piece of this statement can be theoretically doubt very quickly, but I am happy that my instict didn´t fool me.

To speak positively, I rally on quartet matsu-imperialjapan-gunjinantigues-veryberries and I was fooled only once - when matsu sold me 4th type wound badge in the balsa box for 3rd type, which is in fact much more rarer. Nick knows it, because he disclosed it. So cheers to Nick and matsu as well, hehe.

[JapanX]

Hi Nick, doing well, you?

I was trying to find the pictures of the newer ones, but I never saved them. It will probably be posted again later.

~Hsin

PM was sent.

[JapanX]

For me there were suspicious only three things:

1. Chinese man

2. is offering very cheaply

3. too much rare awards in one time.

I know every piece of this statement can be theoretically doubt very quickly, but I am happy that my instict didn´t fool me.

Completely agree with this diagnostic procedure

I rally on quartet matsu-imperialjapan-gunjinantigues-veryberries ...

Risk-free choice

Regards,

Nick