denarius of Julius Caesar, elephant obverse Help!

Im thinking this coin is a copy... but I wanted to post it here for your thoughts...

It wouldn't make me mad if it was real tho...

it weighs 3.608 grams.

 

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Some of the advice I got: http://www.cointalk.com/t207548/
Weight seems sound but I`ll leave it to the Ancient Experts
Owen

 

Looks fine to me. Attractively toned, too.

April-August 49 BC. Military mint traveling with Caesar. Crawford 443/1; CRI 9; Sydenham 1006; RSC 49.

 

I thought it was a little too round... but that was really the only thing.

 

You just have the "it-must-be-fake" syndrome. It's endemic in this part of Cointalk.

 

hahaha!! Yeah from my experience with stuff like this is that if it looks this nice 99/100 times that's because it's not genuine.

 

Looks good to me too. Way better then my example.

 

This appears to be a too good to be true coin that presents me no problem. If it is real, I can't afford it; if not, I don't want it. The photo makes it look good. The problem is collectors like me rarely get to handle things like this so we don't feel comfortable making the call. It is obviously struck and the style is within believable range which is not saying much because these vary greatly in style. It is fresh enough to show the centration layout dot on the reverse. It is not well centered but a lot of these are poorly centered so it is even wrong in the right way. Were it mine, I would consign it to Berk or CNG (which would show their opinion of the authenticity) unless you have customers in Indianapolis who walk in asking for $1000 ancient coins.

 

Dang, looks like a beauty. Must be worth more than its weight in gold.

 

I am thinking about sending it to NGC.

 

Ahh Matt, you know how us ancient collectors think of ancient being in plastic tombs

That coin is easily $1100 or more.

 

I know... I know... Maybe to one of the dealers who offer authentication services. I trust and respect all of your opinions but I need to know 100%. Does Berk do that? I forget off the top of my head.

 

I only buy burk stuff when it comes up cheap from other collectors but I am sure Chris would know.

Another one who offers certification is David Sear, alot of coins I see come with written certifications. He's ones of the most respected in the ancient field.

http://www.davidrsear.com/certification.html

 

Ehhh, those aren't really worth much. I would at most value that as equal to the word of a good dealer.

 

Generally the non-plastic coffin certificate of note is David Sear. I still think that a coin that nice needs to be exposed to the buyers that frequent a major sale to draw top dollar. Raw, certificate or slab, the idea is for two people for whom money is not an issue to decide they like the coin. Perhaps this coin is not nice enough to make that level but it is a nice coin (if genuine as we believe it to be). Compare:
http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=212004

I like this better but the surfaces are not quite as good:
http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=216112

 

Well some collectors like to have it. I dont focus that as a main decision when I buy coins myself. I could care less.

Slabbing is no different if you wanna go that route, David L. Vagi is the one that does NGC ancients so is his word better then Burk or Sear? :/

 

I would say Vagi over the other two, mainly because I know how paranoid he is about fakes.

 

How many of NGC slabs does David Vagi himself actually see as opposed to unnamed associates?

 

LD, I would say just to sell it like any other dealer with return privileges.

I understand what you are saying though. In Indiana you simply will have most people who will not believe this is a real coin unless its in plastic, (not picking on Indiana, its the same for most of the US). As a dealer wanting to maximize his return, I would not begrudge you doing that.

Btw, is this a $1100 coin? I thought I saw a run of these at CNG a few months back with $500 estimates and most selling for around $500-700.

 

At this point, he still looks at every coin that passes through. He was looking for some help and, I believe, found someone, but at this point they both examine each coin.

I cannot overemphasize Vagi's fanatical devotion to authenticity. While NGC does not guarantee anything, he will refuse any coin he has even the shadow of a doubt about.