Need help - is this a genuine coin?

I'm not much of a collector of Roman coins. But after some weeks in this forum, I think, I'm slowly dragged towards these wonderful coins. Couple of days before, I got a coin from a dealer here. It has been with him for a long time. I've noted this coin with him for over a decade. Seems nobody is interested in this. I can get this from him for about 75$. What I want to know is whether this is a genuine coin and is it worth 75$.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Biju,that coin,if genuine,looks like the famous 'Tribute Penny' Denarius of the Emperor Tiberius,which is mentioned in the Bible.

If it is genuine,then US$75 is a real good bargain.You won't usually find these selling for under NZ$250.

You can do a conversion through here; www.xe.com .

Aidan.

 

The coin is:

Tiberius. 14-37 AD. AR Denarius. TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate head right / PONTIF MAXIM, Livia, as Pax, seated right. RIC 28 (wide variety of RIC 28's)

If authentic it would be worth 200-300 USD easily...

here are more examples of the coin:






I wouldnt go on what I say but it looks fishy to me...

 

spiral, I posted the coin in a forum of ancients experts and asked for opinions...if it is real and is being sold for 75 dollars...you should snatch it up post haste But in my humble opinion this looks like a cast. It looks soft and not from wear, and seems to have possible casting dips and bumps....

 

this one is selling for 1,350.00 right now (though its in much better condition)



this one is selling for 550.00



this one looks more close to your coins condition and is selling for 300.00

 

The surfaces on the piece in question are pretty rough (unusually), so I would be wary of it judging from the pics only.

 

Thanx for the comments.. If I mention its weight, will it be of any help? I'll then check its weight from a jewellery shop.. Unfortunately, I dont have a weighing machine with me right now..

 

The surface is not rough. Its the dirt which makes it look rough.

 

Sorry about not being specific, I was referring to what looks like lumpy areas on the left side on the obverse, and bottom 40% of the reverse.

 

(Not that I'm saying that it's fake, it just looks funny)

 

You mean a scale? LOL :mouth:

Sorry I just couldn't resist. It brought up a memory of Anna Nicole Smith on the Howard Stern Show quite a while back where she said something to the effect of... You tricked me into getting on your stupid weighing machine.
OMG she is just so funny.... minus the recent tragedy of losing her son. I actually felt quite bad for her at that time, but time does help heal wounds somewhat, and she's still a funny gal.

Best wishes on the coin and I hope you and your's have a Happy New Year.

Tom of the tom group.

 

Oops.. :mouth: ya... I just meant scale.. I was using the Indian English I'm sorry.. :bow:

 

spiralstreet,
I can't say for sure if your coin is genuine or not but I must say that I'm a bit bothered by the crudeness of the portrait,inscriptions and surfaces.Here's mine (paid $150) so you now have photos of 6 genuine ones to compare with yours.

 

thanx for all the comments.. can anyone give me the weight of this coin?

 

Since coin making was not the exact science it is today,there is no exact weight or diameter but this particular coin should weigh approximately 3.60-3.75 grams and be about 17mm in diameter.
If you really want to research this coin,go here: http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/tiberius/t.html and scroll down to RIC 28-RIC 30 to see dozens of examples of it,including a fake RIC 30.If you click on "text" to the left of the coin,you will often see more info on the coin, like auction price,weight and sometimes diameter.

 

Yes...I think it a fake...I'll point out why here:







As was said, the legend is messy, details are soft and you have signs of sloppy casting...look at the picture below. the bumps in the field, the melding of letters in the legend...the tie in the back of his head is all messed up...

Also the wear is very uneven and not consistent....I didnt want to say for sure last night but when I looked at it again this morning I was sure it was a cast fake...still...I am not an expert but I wouldnt buy it...look on the side of the coin, do you see any signs that it has been filed? or a seam?

 

Hope these images will help ..

 

Biju,those pictures actually give it away that the piece is a dud,as the edge just looks too even to be a hand-struck piece.

Aidan.

 

Aidan, can you give me images of the edge of a hand-struck piece. I'm curious to know the difference.