Here's a backstory on this coin I'm trying to identify. My dad bought it at a coin show for less than ten dollars a little while ago, and it was completely covered in dirt to the point where identification was impossible. After cleaning it off a little, he noticed that the coin may be possibly made of gold, and he took to several experts to get it checked out. They confirmed that it was indeed gold (50% gold, 50% unidentified metal), but have never seen an example of this type of coin and could not find it in any of their catalogs. We don't know where to look next for more information, so I figured this might be a good place to start. I attached some pictures, and any help with ID would be appreciated! (Note: The information on the cardboard sleeve is wrong!)
It looks like a Roman orichalcum (brass) "as", RIC (Roman Imperial Coins catalog) 647. Also called a "2/3 dupondius" or "diabol". The Wildwinds ancient coin database has some pictures of similar items: http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/trajan/t.html
It is NOT gold, but rather a Roman bronze "as." Recent scholarship suggests that it was struck at the Rome mint for circulation in Syria. See: http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=158778
The troublesome part here is that 'experts' can't tell gold from brass. Anyone who has been around gold should recognize that it wears in a smooth flowing pattern and does not corrode with pits and patina in any way similar to copper alloys. Gold is sufficiently heavier than copper that picking up a piece makes you say 'heavy'. We can be fooled by gold plated platinum or maybe even lead but the OP coin here should remind one of a US half cent or perhaps two stacked together but not like a $10 gold piece. 'All that glitters is not gold' but, more to the point, 'if it looks like rotten copper, it is not gold either'.
"experts" as in friends of friends? just wondering I run into experts in coins everytime I show someone a coin that doesnt know I collect them. :smile
Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm doing this for my dad, so I'm not exactly sure who he's talking to, but he told me that one of the people he talked to did some sort of a test on the coin and it came back as 50% gold. Is it possible that this is something else?
If someone says this coin is 50% gold tell them you will sell it to them based on that for melt value. The holder says .27 oz so lets be generous an say 1/4 ounce or 1/8 oz of gold since it is 50% by their figure. This would be, again generously, 1/8 of $1600 or $200. I say the coin is brass and in the condition probably worth $10. I bought my example of this coin in 1989 for $20 but would not want this lower grade one for more than $5. If I ever saw an ancient coin that needs melting, this might be it. I will bet, however that your gold expert will not be interested in it at $200 or even half that.
Doug is completely right. It sounds like your father has a friend that enjoys telling fish stories, and leading others on their own. Gold is too malleable and soft to pit and acquire a patina like your Trajan has.