by Herb Weisbaum
NBC News
In these uncertain economic times, you don’t have to be a miser to consider putting some of your money into precious metals, and gold and silver coins are an easy way to do that.
But this increased demand for bullion coins — like the American Eagle, South African Krugerrand and Canadian Maple Leaf — has created a golden opportunity for forgers.
Counterfeit coins are “flooding the market at an astonishing rate,” and compromising the investments of collectors, according to the American Numismatic Association (ANA).
“It’s a very serious problem and it’s really scary,” said Rod Gillis, ANA’s education director.