Fake "finds"

[Erik Oostra]

I had someone from my detecting club question an old Chinese coin I found on Magnetic Island which pre-dated the arrival of Europeans.. I didn't really know how to respond as it seemed that he was saying I had faked the find.. Thankfully another member pointed out that Chinese fleets had been active along this coast for many years before Europeans arrived.. I don't usually need anyone to stand up for me but on this occasion I was stumped for words by the idea that anyone would bother to fake such a thing.. I can't see how faking the find of a worthless old coin can make anyone feel better about themselves, even if they get the admiration that they crave..  

I could simply put it down to jealousy because I'm lucky enough to live on an island where there's still plenty of places which have never been searched, but it still left a bitter taste in my mouth.. It's always a horrible feeling being accused of something you didn't do.. It did make me wonder if the dude making the accusation had a guilty conscience.. 

Perhaps people see my posts and think that every time I go out I find something amazing, but they don't realize that most days I don't find anything at all.. Maybe I should also post pictures of all the crap I find?    

I must admit that for a while I used to hesitate before showing my finds to the folk at the club, wondering if I'd be accused of faking again.. But now I don't really care anymore about what others think, I know I found all those things in my finds boxes and that's good enough for me..          

[Daniel Tn]

Here's ya an arrowhead example of what I am referring to.  

[Bootscrape]

Chinese arrowheads..... what next..?😂

[Hunterjunk]

Even to a Tasmanian who knows nothing about arrow heads those look fake !   I am with Erik though when it comes to my finds . I have them in their hunt site boxes and anybody that doubts can take a flying leap . I know just how much hard work they represent . Case in point is that I have been extremely lucky to have found 4 gold coins over 12 years of detecting . The reply's , and the look on some peoples faces says it all . For 2 of those finds I have had witnesses but that really doesn't matter .  I say don't judge until you have walked the miles in the finders shoes .

[Rattlehead]

I try to be careful about calling BS on people's finds unless I know for absolute certain its faked. Reason being, I found some pretty unbelievable coins myself back in 2012, and if someone else had posted them I'd probably question it too.

 

I've also dug some silver coins that came out of the ground looking like they were minted yesterday. Just depends on the soil I guess.

[SeabeeRon]

1 hour ago, Rattlehead said:

I try to be careful about calling BS on people's finds unless I know for absolute certain its faked. Reason being, I found some pretty unbelievable coins myself back in 2012, and if someone else had posted them I'd probably question it too.

 

I've also dug some silver coins that came out of the ground looking like they were minted yesterday. Just depends on the soil I guess.

Very True!  My "radar" will go off, but I would need to be sure before calling out somebody of faking a find.

I just stay away from FB detecting pages and You Tube to lessen the problem!

[Commonwealthdetector]

On 4/25/2023 at 5:43 AM, Daniel Tn said:

Has anyone else noticed a huge uptick in obvious faked finds being posted?  Not here...but on other sites and in particular, social media hunting group pages?  I'm talking about silver and copper coins "in the dirt pile" pictures that have zero oxidation, patina, etc and the silver look like it's been rubbed on with metal polish paste...that kind of luster to them.  I guess they thrive on comments or something. I saw some tonight on an arrowhead group I'm on...guy had 5 modern points posted together that are the kind you get at the souvenir shops, gas stations, and such...not even made from material found here in the US...and claims he found them at a certain place near me.  If he did...somebody planted them as a joke.  I thought he was posting the picture as a joke but he said he knows their real because he knows other people have found native rocks there too.  🤔   Well heck...I guess beer cans are from the Civil War because we find them on property we also find Civil War relics too.  Stuff like that probably shouldn't irk me but for some reason it does.  

In out modern attention media moron atmosphere I wouldn't be a bit surprised if fake finds or channels wouldn't be a real leader in the genre. Integrity be darned if a person could do it with clear conscious it would sure blow by the reality channels of tough world! 

      It's a shame and all we cam do is fight it when we see it I reckon! 

[Doc Bach]

7 hours ago, Daniel Tn said:

Here's ya an arrowhead example of what I am referring to.  

If someone were to glue a little white cardboard stick to the bottom of those pathetic objects they could pass for suckers for suckers!

[UT Dave]

I faked a find a couple of months ago.  For a few hours anyway.  Dug what I thought was a Peace dollar at the beach.  Even showed to another forum member who was detecting there and told him I'd found a silver dollar.  Now, it was pretty encrusted, so it was larger than "life size" and details weren't really visible.  But I went around telling myself I'd found silver dollar for a few hours before I got home and started cleaning it up and realized it was a Walker half and not a dollar at all 😂.

- Dave

[schoolofhardNox]

On 4/26/2023 at 5:10 AM, Daniel Tn said:

Here's ya an arrowhead example of what I am referring to.  

Oh yeah, those are real for sure 😅 I see that chert everywhere I go. That sad part is people that don't know anything about this subject will believe they are real, and may even display them proudly after purchasing them.