While browsing eBay for a couple of coins and checking out feedback on one of the sellers, I came across a record of this particular Eid Mar denarius sale from past May. It seems that it was not properly identified as such and someone snagged it for less than $1500! Could this actually be real? If so, I definitely would envy the lucky purchaser.
Figures... And some poor soul even left a grateful feedback on the item. Just wanted to make sure that "miracles" like this don't happen in numismatic world. What would be the easiest photo identifiers for a fake like this besides the obvious weight offsets and lack of the strike profile? When buying coins on eBay I usually take them to a local NGC specialist ancient coin dealer so I'm slowly learning, as I come across fakes once a while.
Well, a coin could have become worn naturally, but I would expect natural wear to be rather even, and in the reverse one of the daggers has significantly power detail than the other around the area of the blade, and the surfaces have casting pits from bubbles in the casting process. As the saying goes, if it is too good to be true, it probably is. For every genuine lucky break you can find, there are 99 that are just scams.
I find it hard to believe that anyone actually bought that or that 33 people bid on it. Something wrong all together.
As with all coins, condition is important, but here is one: https://www.sixbid.com/browse.html?auction=729&category=16143&lot=726392
The chances that that coin is real is only slightly less than the chance that the Powerball Lottery ticket you found in a parking lot was the million dollar winner. There is no meaning to a value question including 'if it were real'. Opinion: I hate to see the name of a genuine and serious collector turned into a generic term for being outbid. When TIF first used the term, she was being outbid by the real Clio on coins that were really worth buying. I sincerely doubt that Clio would bid one cent for that coin. If he wanted a fake one, I at least give him the credit that he would want a good fake. How much is the current value of the fake EID MAR once owned by King George?
In the last CNG auction, I bid on 9 items... I bid high on the one I really wanted, and won. 1 other went to another, and Clio got the other 7 that I bid low on... I am comfortable using Clio'd. I honestly feel it is a mark of respect, he is getting a great number of great coins that he won fair and square. More power to him. And I feel, it is a sign of healthy respect to play with his name. He is a winner! So my joke referring to him is in respect, and in fun.