Guys a seller has offered me some roman coins that i am abit leery of. Lets start with the lucius veros , from what i see it looks like a cast copy after reviewing others online and reproductions as well. I will ask for better photos of all the coins but i am hoping to start with the luscius verus first. Any opinions on the verus?
Orange Julius, thank You for confirming my suspicion. I will let the seller know but i am sure he already knows this.....
Yeah a lot of people without experience with ancient coins fall for similar reproductions… especially with some dirt added and a story about them being dug up or being in the family for generations. The seller (without experience) may believe these legit…. or just be a crook.
Anyone know some trusted sellers of similar roman coins here on the forum or dealers? This subject can be a minefield lol
I’d check out the ancients section on Vcoins. You’ll have to price compare across sellers for similar coins as there are a few bad apples that overprice… but overall a good source. Otherwise there is a for sale section here on CoinTalk (but it’s a little slow for ancients) and any of the auction houses. I’d avoid eBay until you get a better feel for authentic or not, it’s a minefield. …I guess another source that I haven’t bought from but sometimes watch are some of the ancient coin groups on Facebook.
Thank you very much for the pointer in the direction of the classified section here on the forum. I'll have to check vcoins. Yes there isn't much on ebay at times but reproductions in every collecting field. Orange Julius thanks again
The follis of Justinian is a known fake. See here: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/byzantine-fakes.350625/
Looks like somebody is trying to pull a fast one. At least the Justinian looks good enough. The other ones are pretty obvious and ugly fakes
Yes. The Justinian I coin, looks like a known, very common, cast fake. I made the mistake of buying one, back when I was a newbie, a couple of years ago. I bought it from a seller on Ebay, who had "99.2% positive feedback". The shape of the flan (the shape of the coin), and the raised diagonal line at 3 o'clock, just outside the border, on the obverse (portrait side), are telltale signs. Here are photos of my fake Justinian I : FAKE! : Justinian I 40 Nummus Follis. Nikomedia Mint, Regnal Year = 12, Maximum Diameter = 45 mm, Weight = 17.67 grams. This was the first Justinian I coin, that I bought, before I learned to consult fake coin reports. It's a very common cast fake, from the late 20th century. Here are links to other examples of this fake type : 1. https://www.forumancientcoins.com/f...lbum=search&cat=0&pid=17127#top_display_media 2. https://www.forumancientcoins.com/f...album=search&cat=0&pid=2272#top_display_media 3. https://www.forumancientcoins.com/f...album=search&cat=0&pid=2273#top_display_media 4. https://www.forumancientcoins.com/f...lbum=search&cat=0&pid=17174#top_display_media A good place to search, for examples of fakes, is on Forum Ancient Coins : https://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/search.php Just type a key word, such as Justinian, into the text area, and then click the "Search" button.
P.P.S. : @Rockymountaincoin Here are some sources, where you can search for authentic examples of coins. I believe, that most of the coins in the following sources are authentic. However, there may be a few fakes. I don't know. 1. ACsearch : https://www.acsearch.info/ Free. To use the basic search feature (or perhaps to view large photos of coins. I've forgotten), you have to create an account, but it's free. To view hammer prices, you have to have a paid subscription. I just use the free search feature. I use this web site, more than any other. 2. CNG Research : https://cngcoins.com/Coins_sold.aspx Free. I recently discovered this, after someone on CoinTalk mentioned it. It looks pretty good. Just type keywords, into the "Search" text area. CNG has a stellar reputation, with experts who know what they are doing. 3. Roma Search : https://www.romanumismatics.com/ Free. I also recently discovered this, after someone on CoinTalk mentioned it. It also looks pretty good. Roma also has a good reputation, with experts who seem to know what they are doing. However, I don't know as much about Roma, as I know about CNG. 4. Wildwinds : https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/i.html Free. A good, free search web site. I have used this a lot. 5. CoinArchives : https://www.coinarchives.com/a/ Free. A good, free search web site. I've used this a few times. 6. Coin books : Books about coins, are very helpful for attributing ancient coins, and learning about the coins, and fun to read. However, books cost money. Some ancient coin collectors don't have any coin books at all. Other ancient coin collectors have spent a significant amount of money on coin books. You can find recommended coin books, by searching the CoinTalk threads. The books that I use the most, for ancient coin attributions, are the following Sear books : Greek Coins And Their Values Volume 1, Greek Coins And Their Values Volume 2, Roman Coins And Their Values Volume I (Roman Republic, Julius Caesar, and the first 11 emperors), Roman Coins And Their Values Volume V (Constantine II through Romulus Augustus), and Byzantine Coins And Their Values.
I have been considering auction sites such as Heritage for buying some ancients once I get the money. From what I have read they are proactive about making sure there are no fakes in their auctions. But I honestly have no first hand knowledge.
