Fake pound coins - don't check your change!
Discussion
Prompted by the BBC's 'Fake Britain' programme, I checked the £1 coins I had. 2 out of 11 are definitely fake and one is iffy.
Seems like a growing problem. In 2008, it was 1 in 50 coins. In 2011, it's 1 in 30 coins (and that was in bags of change collected from major banks).
Of course, once you know that you've got a fake, you're b*gg*r*d. It's illegal to pass it on (which is presumably why banks don't check the change they give out; it's actually quite easy to spot).
So whatever you do, don't be foolish and check to see if your own £1 coins are genuine. D'oh!
Seems like a growing problem. In 2008, it was 1 in 50 coins. In 2011, it's 1 in 30 coins (and that was in bags of change collected from major banks).
Of course, once you know that you've got a fake, you're b*gg*r*d. It's illegal to pass it on (which is presumably why banks don't check the change they give out; it's actually quite easy to spot).
So whatever you do, don't be foolish and check to see if your own £1 coins are genuine. D'oh!
Ok - so humour me - how do you know they're fake?
I've just spent most of mine but still have 2 in my pocket. 1 is from 1983 and 1 is from 1997. They both have different queens heads on them and different tails sides. writing around the edge is the same.
Are the fakers putting old dates on new fakes and aging them somehow? or are all fakes new coins? or have the fakes been in circulation for years and years?
I've just spent most of mine but still have 2 in my pocket. 1 is from 1983 and 1 is from 1997. They both have different queens heads on them and different tails sides. writing around the edge is the same.
Are the fakers putting old dates on new fakes and aging them somehow? or are all fakes new coins? or have the fakes been in circulation for years and years?
LivingTheDream said:
Ok - so humour me - how do you know they're fake?
Drop the suspected fake on a hard floor and you will get a dull thud and no bounce. Some of them are so poor you can actually make an indentation with a fingernail.If you find any then bin them and take them out of circulation. If people can't afford to bin them, they should get a better paid job.
On the worst ones the biggest give-aways are: wrong colour, images stamped off-centre, and the front and back images not being aligned (the queens head should be exactly the same way up as the reverse image).
They also often get the wrong image for the date on the coin, or the wrong text on the edge.
They also often get the wrong image for the date on the coin, or the wrong text on the edge.
I dont think I have ever seen one, certainly no-one has ever complained about a coin used to pay for stuff, and I often pay with cash rather than card...
is it a regional thing ? I'm in Northants, do they not reach as far as us country bumpkins, or are we all just really gullible and cant tell the difference between one and tother ?
is it a regional thing ? I'm in Northants, do they not reach as far as us country bumpkins, or are we all just really gullible and cant tell the difference between one and tother ?
OllieC said:
I dont think I have ever seen one, certainly no-one has ever complained about a coin used to pay for stuff, and I often pay with cash rather than card...
is it a regional thing ? I'm in Northants, do they not reach as far as us country bumpkins, or are we all just really gullible and cant tell the difference between one and tother ?
I'd be willing to bet a £ that you have had at least one fake, sometimes you don't notice but other times stuff like the jingling noise it makes is different to "normal"is it a regional thing ? I'm in Northants, do they not reach as far as us country bumpkins, or are we all just really gullible and cant tell the difference between one and tother ?
eybic said:
OllieC said:
I dont think I have ever seen one, certainly no-one has ever complained about a coin used to pay for stuff, and I often pay with cash rather than card...
is it a regional thing ? I'm in Northants, do they not reach as far as us country bumpkins, or are we all just really gullible and cant tell the difference between one and tother ?
I'd be willing to bet a £ that you have had at least one fake, sometimes you don't notice but other times stuff like the jingling noise it makes is different to "normal"is it a regional thing ? I'm in Northants, do they not reach as far as us country bumpkins, or are we all just really gullible and cant tell the difference between one and tother ?
At my kids school they stopped accepting pound coins in the canteen as so many were fake.
However one of the kids just did a series of collections outside supermarkets and I was expecting that to be a nighmare but we never had a single coin rejected by the automatic counting machine in the bank.
However one of the kids just did a series of collections outside supermarkets and I was expecting that to be a nighmare but we never had a single coin rejected by the automatic counting machine in the bank.
I didn't bother with any tests of the material (colour, scraping, bounce sound, etc).
The most obvious giveaway is mentioned above - back is not aligned with the front. I presume forgers will get better and better at that, and they must get it right by luck every now and then.
Next tell-tales are:
I was gobsmacked that the change that banks hand out were not checked.
And I think the next time the Tesco's cashier has the cheek to scrutinise my £20 notes, I'll do the same with every £1 coin she gives me in change.
The most obvious giveaway is mentioned above - back is not aligned with the front. I presume forgers will get better and better at that, and they must get it right by luck every now and then.
Next tell-tales are:
- design is not properly centred
- wrong back design for the year (can check against Royal Mail site)
- font used for text engraved around the milled edge is wrong (sometimes terrible)
- wrong text engraved around the milled edge (again see Royal Mail site)
I was gobsmacked that the change that banks hand out were not checked.
And I think the next time the Tesco's cashier has the cheek to scrutinise my £20 notes, I'll do the same with every £1 coin she gives me in change.
55allgold said:
I was gobsmacked that the change that banks hand out were not checked.
Why? Do you think bank staff have the time to check every single pound coin they take in? Most of the change that goes out is what's taken in from Joe Public...Edited by cannedheat on Friday 20th May 22:19
cannedheat said:
55allgold said:
I was gobsmacked that the change that banks hand out were not checked.
Why? Do you think bank staff have the time to check every single pound coin they take in? Most of the change that goes out is what's taken in from Joe Public...Gassing Station | Finance | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff