I don't deal much with ancient coins but this one kind of looks off. The edges are off and looks like a cast fake. Suppose to be be a silver Gordian III as Augustus (241-243). If some of you knowledgeable people here would help me out with one, I would appreciated it.
I'm no expert but it looks ok to me? I'm thinking maybe environmental damage with regards to the pitting. I could be entirely wrong and would love to hear from some real experts.
While I am no more able to pronounce on a coin not in hand, I see no reason to doubt Furryfrog's view. The several edge views and general look of the surface strike me as a coin that suffered in cleaning.
If this were a U.S. coin, the best it could get is “no opinion.” The porous surfaces make it suspect. Since this is an easy emperor to get it would be an instant pass for me. I am more interested in history than in every coin variety. But I am not a dealer or authenticator so my collector’s reaction would “pass.”
I assumed it was a coin already owned. Certainly I would suggest buying a better one from a dealer that you trust and would not find it necessary to check by showing a photo to a bunch of people who have not seen the coin in person. There are many Gordian coins available in the $20-30 range so you might even find one with a reverse that interests you. I regret the one you posted is not one I have. These are not US coins.
I echo the others above. No reason to doubt the coin, but with better examples and low cost, I would look for another. GORDIAN III AR Antoninianus OBVERSE: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right REVERSE: PM TR P IIII COS II P P, Gordian in military dress, standing right with spear & globe Struck at Rome, 241 AD 5.50g, 24mm RIC IV iii, 92, page 25 - Cohen 253
I've seen fake Gordian III's, but all of them were really bad fakes. I suspect the OP coin is genuine, but IMO, not worth more than about $15. Also, weight can vary wildly on most antoninianii from this period - all of them were worth more than their silver content, so 5 grams plus or minus one didn't matter as long as there was faith they would all spend the same. I think they come as heavy as 7-8 grams and as light as 3-4.
I looked at that, but believe it can b explained away as many factors could cause the variation. In other words, I wouldn't worry about the minor variation.
The common practice was to make a specified number of coins from a specified weight of metal. They did not weigh each blank but aimed for the average to work out. Collectors do prefer heavier coins since the larger flans made it easier to include all the design but both would spend and that is what mattered.
I think I saw the OP on eBay. Not an expert, but it looked legit to me - I wasn't crazy about the surfaces, but otherwise it looked good.
A few from my collection. If I were you I'd purchase an example without environmentally caused surface pitting.
Thank you all! i appreciate your input and knowledge. I'm more into us coins and paper but I would love to get into ancients. Looks a bit overwhelming but I'm sure it's not impossible.
It can definitely be overwhelming at first but it is so much fun. Especially if you are into history.
Also, Gordie is a great way to start. He struck a lot of coins over his six year reign, including this one to fund his Persian war. Unfortunately he lost his life after the battles of of Resaena (a Roman victory) and Misiche, a battle fought in the environs of Fallujah, Iraq, which was a Roman loss. It is unknown if he died in battle or at the hand of Phillip the Arab, the new Praetorian Prefect.
@Patrick M , Welcome to Ancients! I collect historically. My suggestion would be to find an area that you think is interesting. Do a little Wikipedia searching, then take a look at VCoins and MA-Shops selling venues. Also, lurk in CT Ancients (I did for 2 years before I ever posted). Use the SEARCH bar in the upper right hand corner of the CT Screen in the Ancients Forum. Watch what people comment on, learn some of the FAKE Sites to get info, find out who are trusted sellers, etc. eBay is "ok", but KNOW the Seller and/or KNOW the Coin. There are a LOT of folks in the Ancients area of CT that are GREAT Sellers... When in doubt (coins, terms, words, etc.), I GOOGLE EVERYTHING! At least I get an "idea" about what is going on. Some Ancients collecting areas are fairly low-cost, some areas can be a little more expensive. Start small, grow into this side of the Hobby. What looks intimidating is actually a lot of "sub-hobbies" within Ancients that some can be very interesting for you. If you are looking to "invest", forget it. If you are looking for fun, WOW, this is it for Coin collecting. I got out of US collecting 30 years ago. Best move I made by collecting Ancients instead. Personally, I started truly collecting Ancients in the Roman Republic area. Love the history, and grew into several other Ancients areas, but a lot of them were entities that interacted with the Roman Republic. Most of my coins are from the BCE time period, although I do have a lot from the Roman "Empire" era (CE time period). OH! And have FUN !!! That is my first priority. ROMAN REPUBLIC Roman Republic L Livineius Regulus (moneyer) AR Denarius 42 BCE 3.8g 19mm Regulus bust - Gladiators in Arena Crawford 494-30, Sydenham 1112, Sear 489 CARTHAGE (Nemesis of Rome) Carthage Zeugitania First Punic War 264-241 BCE AR Double Shekel 26 mm 13.9 g Wreathed Tanit Horse stndng r star above SNG Cop 185 R