Bought a 'Roman coin' from a market in Rome for 50 euros, turns out it was a modern souvenir.

I was so excited to find what looked like a genuine artifact, but a quick check back at the hostel showed it was a cheap copy. Has anyone else been tricked by a fake find while traveling?

3 comments

3 Comments

sean_miller8814d ago

Yeah, that "solid jade" story from matthew_hart25 is a classic. Thing is, real jade is cold to the touch and way heavier than plastic. A quick test is to hold it, it should feel dense. Those sellers bank on the excitement of the moment to skip that basic check. Sucks about your coin, but it's a pretty standard travel lesson.

matthew_hart2519d ago

Watched a guy in Bangkok sell a tourist a "solid jade" statue that was clearly just green plastic. The seller swore on his mother's life it was real, and the tourist bought it for way too much money. Felt bad, but you learn to spot the hustle after a while. Those market stalls are full of stories like that. Makes you wonder how many fake antiques are sitting on shelves back home.

mary77619d ago

Read somewhere that a huge chunk of the "antique" wood carvings from that region are just mass-produced in factories... They even use special stains and tea bags to make them look old. It's a whole industry built on that exact hustle.