Every once in a while, souvenir Roman coins from the town of Bath turn up on eBay. I've bought a couple, and they've been pretty nice (and genuine). This one, however, turned out to be a fake - but an ancient one, as far as I can tell. While trying to research it, from what I can tell it is rather scarce - at least there weren't many I could find online, none on Wildwinds. (RIC 303 - Genuine examples, that is!) Sorry the photos were a bit dark, but here it is. In hand, the silver plating is considerably more silvery as compared to the base core. Septimius Severus Denarius (fourrée) (202-201 A.D.) Rome Mint SEVERVS PIVS AVG laureate head right / VIRT AVGG, Virtus standing left, holding Victory in right hand, resting left hand on shield, spear resting against left arm. RIC 303 (Bath, UK souvenir) (2.37 grams / 17 mm)
Great pick up, I would have loved to come across something like that for a souvenir when I was there last year. This is the best I could manage......very cheesey hey. And I was assured it was genuine Bath water not from China.
I went there in 2007 and found the souvenir prices to be a bit daunting. Loved to visit, but had to pass on the "waters."
So what is the background on the production and retailing of the "Roman Bath" coins? The card looks 1970s or earlier which is interesting in its own right, but were the coins actually "local" hoard or metal detecting finds, or coins found anywhere that were simply retailed to tourists in Bath?
I prefer to reserve the nasty word 'fake' for modern items made to fool collectors. I refer to ancient items of poor metal including plated coins by 'counterfeits'. There is one more item which I term 'barbarous replicas' which are just as unofficial as counterfeits but were made from proper metal to serve as money when there was a shortage of the real thing. These are also called 'money of necessity'. All coins of Septimius Severus: good metal ancient replica of unofficial style good metal ancient replica of barbarous style fourree counterfeit of good style Modern struck replica (Slavey) not intended to fool buyers by the maker Modern cast fake (tourist grade) I consider all but the last collectible. Replicas of the class represented here by the Slavey can be downgraded to the worst type of fakes when people doctor them to make them look old and sell them as genuine ancients. At $5 in a giftshop this is OK; when sold as a $1000 rarity (or beat up to look like a $10 genuine coin) the replica becomes a fake.
Only chiming in because I got my very first ancient coin at a shop in Bath in 1997 (genuine as far as I can tell). My understanding is that over time, quite a few Roman coins have been unearthed in various places in the city.
I guess these Bath souvenir coins were rather common some years back - real coins, not museum copies. Where they came from, I have no idea, though I rather doubt they were actually excavated in Bath. Probably ancient coin stock circulating among European dealers, sold in bulk to museum shops? Just guessing. Here's a Severus Alexander Bath souvenir that I posted a while back: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/faustina-i-denarius-with-a-pedigree.314160/ Interesting thread. Just today I got what might be my best Severus Alexander denarius (RIC 70, I believe). It came with original "souvenir" packaging from the Roman Baths of Bath, England, including the tatty envelope. A while back I posted a LRB in similar packaging - I guess back in the day they used to sell genuine coins rather than "museum replicas." As far as I can tell, this one is genuine: Marsyas Mike, Apr 4, 2018 Report #15 + Quote Reply
There was a documentary on PBS - it aired a number of times several years ago - about restorations and the associated dig in the actual Roman baths of Bath. They found thousands and thousands of coins. People threw them into the "sacred spring" the way folks throw coins into "wishing wells" or fountains. Many were fairly profoundly corroded by the water which, I guess, is somewhat acidic, but interestingly some coins which evidently landed flat on the silty bottom were perfectly preserved by anaerobic conditions - but only on the "bottom" side stuck into the silt, the "top" sides were as corroded as everything else. I wouldn't be too surprised if some of the coins found in these restorations have been sold to help defray the costs of reconstruction.
@dougsmit Doug, how do you know the last is a modern cast fake? There are limes AE denarii that have similar fabric.
I havent been to Bath since the late 90's. At that time they were still selling genuine coins, but crummy corroded LRB's, in small baggies stapled to cardstock. I didnt buy them of course. There is (was) a spot in the baths where the water channels in and people are (were) still tossing in their coins. A lot of the were corroded. Anyway, I'm taking my kids there in February. It will be fun to visit once again.
Could have done with a Yabby net But you really want one of those little bottles of Baths water don't ya.
