Move against China might hinder faking coins
Is cheap mail delivery from China one of the reasons there has been an explosion of fake coins entering the U.S. from that country? Could be. While it would not…
Is cheap mail delivery from China one of the reasons there has been an explosion of fake coins entering the U.S. from that country?
Could be.
While it would not be the only reason, the ease with which individuals can place orders with businesses faking U.S. collector coins and then have them shipped into the U.S. at subsidized postal rates likely is one of them.
It also might be a reason why fake consumer goods are hurting American sellers of the genuine goods.
According to a story I saw on Bloomberg.com yesterday, this entry point to the United States is going to get harder.
The United States intends to withdraw from the International Postal Union with 192 countries.
This union mandates the low postal rates from China.
To raise them requires an American exit from the union.
It would be naive to believe that this will cure a fake coin problem, but it might make it easier to catch fakes coming into the country.
Why?
The Toms, Dicks, and Harrys who might be placing small orders for fakes via the Internet might stop if shipping costs seem too high.
Determined fakers would likely ship fewer but larger parcels.
Customs officials would more likely spot fewer but larger shipments of fakes.
We all know that our relationship with China is changing.
Fakes rank low on the list of the President’s priorities.
However, this step to withdraw from the postal union might have a positive impact on the fight against Chinese counterfeits.
Buzz blogger Dave Harper won the Numismatic Literary Guild Award for Best Blog for the third time in 2017. He is editor of the weekly newspaper "Numismatic News."
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