The craft of distorting time

The craft of distorting time

How can time be distorted? As much as social media has brought together hobbyists and the rare things they have been collecting and acquiring, it has also brought them closer to a growing number of professionals who forge, imitate, and defraud hobbyists. Nothing stands in their way... no honesty, no morals, no regard for God's rights. The most important thing is to achieve financial profit at any cost.

The hand of tampering extended to encompass everything...everything: coins, stamps, papers, documents, licenses, books, pocket watches, wristwatches, personal seals, metal jewelry, paintings, plates, old appliances...everything that can be mentioned was touched by their hand.

Why do some people prefer to distort time?

I remember, a decade or so ago, how my bad luck led me to a currency trader who had a stall on one of the roads... I stood in front of him in I was mesmerized, gazing at those old coins adorned with shapes and designs. Of course, I hesitated to ask, certain it would be far beyond my means. He noticed me staring intently at the coins he was displaying and asked, "I have other things too, but I don't have them. Just tell me what you want, and we won't disagree." My response was, "So, how much is one of these?" He was clever, prolonging the conversation to ensure I was ignorant of the true nature of the coins and whether they were genuine or counterfeit. He continued, "There are thirty pieces like this, all for a thousand pounds." In a flash, I began calculating the value of each piece, only to find it was worth no more than 30 pounds, maybe a little more. I found myself asking him to wait until the next day so I could bring the money and claim this treasure. He agreed, but only after asking me to leave a deposit, which I would forfeit if I didn't keep my promise and return the following day. I left, convinced that this man was either ignorant of the value of such things or that he had even more. Perhaps he wanted to get rid of it at any price. Indeed, the next day, as previously scheduled, I went with the thousand pounds. Indeed, I received the coins, put them in my pocket, and was about to return home to check on this treasure that had fallen on me from the sky. I returned, emptied the money, and began to examine it. Of course, I had no knowledge of its details and was unaware that there were those who counterfeited and imitated such things. Every day I would return and check on it and thank God for this treasure.

Days passed, and I began to take up several hobbies, including buying old books, documents, coins, and other items. My circle of acquaintances gradually expanded until God guided me to a well-known dealer. During one of our meetings, while we were discussing old coins, I told him about the original Roman coins I had, and he promised to buy everything I brought him, offering over 300 Egyptian pounds per coin—ten times what I had paid. I thought to myself, "Why not? I'll buy and sell again and become a big-time dealer.".

I returned to him early with the “treasure,” and in the presence of another merchant, one of the big shop owners in Cairo, I was about to take out what I had, waiting to hear a word from either of them expressing their satisfaction. But I found my merchant friend calling to the “boy” who works with him in his shop, ”Hey, Hani, look at these.” And then Hani said to me and everyone, ”These are fake, Haj. This is the work of Kerdasa, the five-pound note.“ It was as if my friend wanted to say to me, ”You educated one, you schoolboy, you amateur… here is that boy who knows more than you and is more capable than you of discovering the truth about these bad, counterfeit, fake, forged coins.“ I wished to disappear from the place, for I am not a swindler… only to find him saying to me, ”If I did not know who you are and know that you are ignorant of the truth of the matter, I would not have let you out of this place.“ And this was my first lesson in this unknown world. .

I began to realize that the distortion of time had become a reality, and that knowledge is the first weapon that any amateur must arm himself with. The matter is simple. Knowledge is no longer difficult. A little time, effort, reading, research, and of course, above all, choosing companions, knowledgeable people, and those who have the ability to give advice.

Whenever I pass through dozens of hobby collections and come across hundreds of fake, counterfeit, and forged pieces, I remember the first story... which was truly a lesson for me from that time until now... I have become certain that the matter has indeed turned into a profession of distorting time, history, and beauty for some, which they have deprived of its meaning and emptied of its content.

Ahmed Abdullah Al-Gharib

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