Today, I have a chance to meet Master Sifu Saran Singh during my visit to Amcorp Mall Flea Market. I asked him what exactly happened during his meeting with a Johorean guy in November 2011? After the meeting, that guy used an "authentication letter" signed by Master Sifu Saran Singh to promote his Fake Johor Sultanate coins in Mudah, eBay and Facebook. What really happened?
Some of you especially Malay Sultanate coin collectors might already found an ads by group of people with a "LETTER OF AUTHENTICITY" by Saran Singh for Johor Sultan Ala'uddin Mas Dinar gold coin. They claimed that the coin has been authenticate by Saran Singh, mostly their ads come with inscription "Duit ini juga telah disahkan oleh keasliannya oleh Mr Saran Singh bahawa duit emas ini ialah ASLI TULIN. Lihat gambar surat diattach beserta tandatangannya" and a picture of the letter will be shown in the same ads.
According to Master Sifu Saran Singh, during that meeting, that guy show him one particular gold coin, a genuine coin. They make a small photocopy of a booklet of a Johor coins and they asked him to signed a "LETTER OF AUTHENTICITY" with that particular coin picture on it. After looking at the coin, he agree to signed it because at that moment he don't think people will be using his signature to do fraud. He signed it because he agree that particular coin is genuine, he don't expect his letter will be used for bunch of other coins that he never saw before.
He said, he never meet those people before and he taught they approach him with a good faith. He did it as a free services without any fee. He later found out that guy is using that letter to sell other coins.
Master Sifu Saran Singh also give 2 reasons why Malay Sultanate gold coins cannot be look exactly the same:
1. All Malay Sultanate coins will never be the same because it is a hammered coins.2. The old coins is cut on the edge manually, every single coin will be different.
He is heart broken and sad with the way that guy cheating him to signed that "LETTER OF AUTHENTICITY". He will never help anyone in the future to authenticate any coins because of this incident.
According to him, with so many fake gold Johor Sultanate coins in the market, it will affected the market price. The priceless coin (RRR) will be dropping in prices since everyone can found them easily. That particular guy act, making a fake coin, sell them as genuine is an immoral act and it will hurt the numismatic community as well. Master Sifu Saran Singh has been meeting a lot of people during his numismatic life, never experienced anything like this.
Master Sifu Saran Singh hope that guy stop using his name and his signature to promote Fake Johor Sultanate coins in Mudah, eBay and Facebook.
PS: Apart from interview of Johor coins, I also have interview him about his books. He shared some interesting stories that we never heard before. I will write the article about it later.
