Odd Trajan As or Dupondius from Syria (Rome mint) with silvering

So, I have this coin from CNG 314 lot 262, which was described as follows:

"SYRIA, In genere. Trajan. AD 98-117. Æ Semis (27mm, 13.21 g, 6h). Rome mint, for circulation in Syria. Struck AD 98-99. Laureate head right / ΔHMAPX/ ЄΞ YΠATO B in two lines within laurel wreath. McAlee 499; Sydenham, Caesarea 229. VF, brown patina but with traces of silver plating."

Just by the size and weight it's obviously not a semis, but an assarion or dupondius. What I find interesting is the silver plating, which is more obvious following a very quick dip in hot water with baking soda (especially on the reverse, where the height of the wreath and inscription protected the fields from wear). Given the weight, which is roughly the same as a local tetradrachm (at least in hand if not on the scales), I wonder if some ancient dude spent time plating some of the heavier coins in this issue and tried to pass them off as new tetradrachms?

What say you, oh Numismatic Hivemind?

 

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I have never seen any silvered provincials, interesting pick up.

 

That's such a cool coin!!! I LOVE IT!!!

EDIT:I forgot to add I wish I had an answer for you, but I don't....

This Ae-19 bronze of Antioch is about as close as I can get....

 

Very nice bronze, but I can't answer your question cause I dunno.

 

All my Trajans are AR Denarii... I regret I cannot help.

 

Sorry to go a bit off topic but I was wondering were @stevex6 has been? I haven't seen him recently, which is unusual for him.

 

He posted one or two times earlier this week, but that's all. It looks like he's taking a break.

 

@Magnus Maximus: I just checked Steve's profile page, and it looks like he's posted quite bit through Thursday this week. Maybe he's taking a break to spend some time with his lovely bride, heh?

 

Yeah probably

 

I fail to understand the need to call Greek language bronzes by Roman names but the standard here seems to be 'as' struck at Rome for circulation in Syria. We also have a Latin language coin called by that same name and description. This design also comes in a half size which we call a semis. Perhaps someone up on the recent scholarship can make this clear. I assume the 'for circulation in Syria' come from find spots of the coins.


My tendency would be to accept the silvering as someone trying to make the coin pass as a tetradrachm. It is interesting that the Sydenham listing places the coin at a different city.

 

Here is a different version taken on the scanner... It shows the silvering better, I think.