Fake Bulla's

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Barry Murphy, Mar 23, 2018.

  1. Barry Murphy

    Barry Murphy Well-Known Member

    In case anyone is feeling tempted by these recently listed for sale terracotta seals, avoid them as they are all forgeries, many made from fake coin dies.

    aelius.jpg aelius2.jpg diadum.jpg marc.jpg pert.jpg
     

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  3. Bob L.

    Bob L. Well-Known Member

    What has been going on with the vetting of antiquities at VCoins lately?
     
  4. ziggy9

    ziggy9 *NEC SPERNO NEC TIMEO*

    that particular dealer is on my "no fly" list
     
    Orfew likes this.
  5. Aethelred

    Aethelred The Old Dead King

    A bunch of Bulla?

    The name of that dealer alone is enough to keep me away!
     
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  6. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    Which dealer? I've been trying to use ebay less and V coins more...or please PM me the name if you don't want the post public.
     
  7. Daniel_R6

    Daniel_R6 Well-Known Member

    I searched the term bulla on VCoins but I don’t see them listed anymore. I’d appreciate a PM with the store name too if possible.

    I usually purchase through VCoins as I consider it a reputable site and I don’t have the experience/ability to spot any but the most obvious fakes.
     
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  8. GregH

    GregH Well-Known Member

    Are there ever any genuine terracotta seals? I don't think I've ever seen any.
     
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  9. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    I would never have known how to spot a fake bulla, seal, whatever.

    Assuming the die engraving alone wasn't an obvious tell, what sort of scientific testing can be done on pottery and glass and such materials, to determine it's of more recent manufacture? I assume there must be such tests, but am clueless about that sort of thing.
     
  10. GregH

    GregH Well-Known Member

    One problem with identifying a pottery fake is it doesn't oxidise like metal - there's no patina or silver toning to show the object has aged (and yes, i know fakes can be patinated too). I guess you'd go by style.

    But whenever i look at terracotta seals on eBay, then read what they're saying in the Forum Ancient coins fake reports - 100% of the time these objects are condemned as fake. I'm steering clear of anything that is made of clay.
     
  11. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    I was thinking like X-ray fluorescence or dilithium crystals or Ouija boards or something.
     
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  12. Theodosius

    Theodosius Fine Style Seeker

    Thanks Barry for letting us know.

    I really appreciate your help with identifying forgeries.

    John
     
  13. GregH

    GregH Well-Known Member

    Is there a reference guide to terracotta bullas like there is for coins? I think that's one of the major problems here.
     
  14. Nicholas Molinari

    Nicholas Molinari Well-Known Member

    Sometimes if there are deposits you can have those tested, but there are fraudulent testing services some dealers use (from what I've heard). Style, "feel", and provenance are key.

    I'd like to know who is selling these if someone in the "know" would tell me. I've avoided these bulla since areich spotted the first die match to a forgery on Forum. Good thing he did, because I was tempted to buy a massive lot.
     
  15. Okidoki

    Okidoki Well-Known Member

    456c378a-9af0-45ef-8ce5-3e2eb1cd6c24.jpg so called Hadrian, i was tricked ....
     
  16. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

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  17. Jay GT4

    Jay GT4 Well-Known Member

    Looks like they've been removed
     
  18. SeptimusT

    SeptimusT Well-Known Member

    For what it’s worth - and it could just be that I was looking for the wrong terminology - but I was unable to find any form of seal or bulla made of terra cotta or clay in the Portable Antiquities Scheme database. Lead was the standard material, from what I can tell.
     
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2018
  19. Barry Murphy

    Barry Murphy Well-Known Member

    DCEEE2E9-669F-43AD-90FA-8E8058884309.jpeg F12D6C64-A57A-454B-81CE-37B38A372760.jpeg 524935D9-1AEA-4F5E-9943-FCE2EB83F75A.jpeg Here are a few of the fake coins made from the same dies as above.

    Barry
     
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  20. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    And this is why I stay away from areas I know nothing about!

    The seller called them 'Library seals' or some such language, which I thought was kind of fishy.
     
  21. Andres2

    Andres2 Well-Known Member

    The only bulla's I own are on a statue of the Lady of Elche 1:1 replica, she's wearing 3 necklaces with bulla's. a Siculo Punic 5th C. BC statue found near the Spanish town of Elche Spain, the Original is in the National museum in Madrid and considered as Spain's most beautifull statue of ancient times.

    P1140283b.jpg
     
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