Please help identify these beautiful ancient coins

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Sorry friend, but they are not ancient. They are cast replicas for use in jewelry.

 

Cuff-links?

 

Really? How can you tell? I would like to learn because I've seen replicas before and they didn't look like this.

 

Yes, they are mounted in solid gold cufflinks.

 

How do you know? What are they replicas of?

 

J.A. is correct.
I seriously doubt that the 'mount' is "Solid Gold", as I cannot see any evidence of '999' or '24ct', and the 'cuff link' (mechanism) is certainly not 'solid gold' as 24ct gold is too soft for that purpose. Sorry.

My thought is once you know that the coins are not 'real' who really cares what they are replicas of?

 

The second cuff-link bears an image that reminds me of a Greek Silver Drachm from 171-170 B.C. that shows Helios in 3/4, with hair loose

 

They're pretty cool cuff-links whether they're fake or not ...

Yah, the second example must be a Rhodes example, eh? (great coin, if it's authentic)

I sure hope that they're real ... but I doubt that somebody would subject their cool coins to such torture?! (it's a bit like putting a coin on the railway tracks!!)

 

They are 14K gold...and while I am far from well informed regarding ancient coins - I am very well versed with jewelry. And some people with money put amazing coins in cufflinks - why - because they can. So when I said solid gold - I meant 14K solid gold. And I just wanted some sort of explanation regarding if they are fake, how can you tell? I would like to be a bit more educated and would definitely appreciate an explanation.

 

If they are replicas, I would like to know of what so that I can learn the difference between a well made fake (which these certainly are if they are fake) and the genuine article. Knowledge is valuable so I am open to answering any questions I can regarding jewelry - which I've studied for many, many years. I am sorry that I am ignorant in the field of ancient coins but nobody can be an expert in everything. I really appreciate your insights and thank you sincerely.

 

ahaha ... sorry, I realize that people put coins in jewelry (sadly, people also cut tusks off of elephants to make trinkets)

I guess showing your cool cuff-links to a bunch of dudes that collect coins gets a slightly different reaction than showing your cuff-links to a guy who collects cuff-links, right?

How do you tell if they're real? (well, I guess you ask the dudes on this site ... they seem to think that the coins aren't real) ..... however, if you really want to know if they're real, then you could send them to a professional to get them authenticated (but that'll cost ya $50-$100 by the time the process is complete)

 

I have no reason to doubt John Anthony - I just was hoping for an explanation - like no such coin has ever been made (ie they are a fantasy piece), or the patina is impossible, or you can clearly see a mark that was made by a forger, or something. Yeah, if they are real - well I didn't make these myself - so I do know better than to do that to a coin.

 

I'm going to disagree with my esteemed friend John Anthony and say they may be authentic . It's very difficult to tell based on these pictures though. I don't see anything about the coins which jumps out as obvious fake, plus cufflinks made from copies would more likely have matched coins.

The type of setting is typical of that used when adapting authentic coins for jewelry. I've seen many similar settings in stores where I live-- with definitely authentic tragically high-end coins.

That said, I'm having trouble identifying the coins without better views of the reverses.

 

Brighter and clearer pictures are going to help (especially of the reverses, which will at least help determine if they're complete fantasies), and the dimensions as well, I know the weight is probably not going to be possible.

As it stands, what can be seen of the reverse of the second coin looks completely unfamiliar to me, and in the first picture I seem to be seeing a casting seam running along the top edge of the coin, and general softness of details... but these may be just photography and lighting at work.

 

I'm starting to agree with others after editing the images in photoshop. The reverses of both coin unfamiliar (not that I am familiar with every ancient coin ever made).

 

Hi David. I'm sorry I wasn't around last night to be more specific. We have this little storm to deal with on the East Coast. The "coins" have the overall soft features of casts, with no signs of metal flow from striking, and on this image you can clearly see a seam, where the two cast halves were fused together...

 

The second coin is based on a gold octobol of Klazomenae, Ionia, c. 380-350 BC and is an electrotype.

Obv:- Laureate head of Apollo facing, slightly to r.;
Rev:- Swan standing, r., with wings spread; Greek legend around.

The one (its a gold plated electrotype) illustrated below is also stamped on the edge with an MB monogram



Your example appears to be in silver but is another electrotype that has gone through subsequent wear. They appear tobe from the same dies. I have based this assertion on the obverse and also on the limited legend that this visible on the reverse, which matches letter shape, letter size and letter spacing.

Electrotypes were made of two halves and then fused together. There were electrotypes of their own coins sold in the British Museum. Aftercasts exist of electotypes too so caution is advised if you are hunting for original electrotypes.

I am now off to see if I can find a match to your other example.

Regards,
Martin

 

I strongly suspect the other coin to be a copy of acoin from Tarentum. I base this assumption on what I see at about 12 o'clock on the reverse, which is the nose of a dolphin, with a foot in front of it an the knee of Taras. I cannot find an exact match. The attached fake is similar in type to what I think it is based on. I cannot state whether it is genuine or otherwise from the images but suspect it too is a copy.



Martin

 

Addendum. The type should occur in gold as it is a half stater and thus cannot be original in silver.