When United States Customs and Border Protection agents in Philadelphia came across 108 Super Bowl rings being shipped into the country from Hong Kong last month, they were immediately suspicious about the authenticity of the items.
The agents noted the poor craftsmanship of the rings, which included ones designed to look like the ones the Eagles received recently in addition to those of other champions, and reached out to the NFL to see if they were indeed fakes. The league confirmed the items were inauthentic.
“Customs and Border Protection officers are like offensive linemen in that both are on the frontline and work hard to protect something important. CBP officers intercept counterfeit products at our nation’s Ports of Entry before they could harm U.S. consumers or businesses,” said Casey Durst, CBP Director of Field Operations in Baltimore. “We will remain vigilant and we will continue to advance our detection capabilities in order to secure our homeland and keep our communities safe and our economy prosperous.”
Had the rings been real, the total value of the shipment would have topped $1 million. Authorized replica rings were available for Eagles fans willing to pony up over $11,000, but they have sold out.