The numismatic world, with its rich history and valuable collectibles, is not immune to scandals. Over the years, several incidents have rocked the coin collecting community, involving everything from counterfeits to thefts and unethical practices.
While over a million 1974 aluminum cents were struck for testing, they were never released to the public, and most were destroyed. However, a few specimens managed to leave the Mint, leading to legal battles and controversy.
The scandal underscored the importance of integrity and trust in the coin grading and authentication process, leading to the establishment of more reputable services with advanced technological methods for detecting counterfeits.
In one of the most significant thefts in numismatic history, a curator at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Numismatic Collection was discovered to have stolen thousands of coins and artifacts over several years in the 1970s and 1980s.
While not a scandal within the numismatic community per se, Operation Bernhard was a WWII-era scheme by Nazi Germany intended to destabilize the British economy through the mass production of counterfeit Bank of England notes.
They highlight the importance of diligence, ethics, and transparency in the collecting and trading of coins and banknotes, underscoring the need for constant vigilance against fraud and theft in the hobby.