Unsure of Authenticity

I just went to retrieve my mail today, and this is a coin I found waiting on me. It looks good to my eye, but I found a possible match on Dr. Ilya Prokopov's Fake Ancient Coin Reports (http://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=1). If not a match, it's close. I would like your opinions.

NERO
AR Tetradrachm
OBVERSE: NERWN KAISAR SEBASTOS, laureate bust right, wearing aegis
REVERSE: ETOYS BIP.I, eagle standing right on thunderbolt, wings spread, palm to right.
Struck at Antioch
Regnal year 10, Caesarian year 112 = 63 AD
10.7g, 23mm
RPC 4189

 

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Sorry Bing but the link is not working for me. It returns the message "No image to display"

 

It seems to be working for me. Go to Forum's Fake reports and search for "Nero AR Tetradrachm of Antioch". You should be able to find it there.

 

Very convincing. But, it seems to be a match of the photo listed.
Maybe my link will work: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=1

 

Unfortunately it is a fake Mr. Bing. I actually submitted the first one on FORVM, someone posted it on the AncientCoins subreddit a while back

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/displayimage.php?pos=-16922
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/displayimage.php?pos=-8662
http://www.forgerynetwork.com/asset.aspx?id=DDW15vfB/2Q=

 

Here is the discussion of the first FORVM example on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/AncientCoins/comments/37ixks/was_told_to_post_this_here_can_anyone_tell_me/

 

two more matches
http://www.arminius-numismatics.com...image.php?album=41&pid=9660#top_display_media

http://www.arminius-numismatics.com...image.php?album=41&pid=2777#top_display_media

I don't know how they got yours to be so convincing. The flan seems evenly worn and typical of Imperial Alexandrian/Antioch Tets.

 

I'd wager these were "worn" in a rock tumbler or something similar. They all show different degrees of wear and generally have a few random gouges and things and are a very convincing type of counterfeit that have been on the market for quite some time, long enough that some of them seem to be 2nd or later generation casts of casts.

 

Not to worry. I'm glad I found it as soon as I received it. I wrote to the seller who is willing to refund. But man, it sure is convincing, even in hand.

 

Yeah, that would have probably fooled me too. At least your getting a refund.

 

I decided to do a bit more digging, apparently these may have at one point came as part of a set of ancient coin replicas that included an Athenian tetradrachm and others as well:

 

It's good to be back, eh Bing?



man => that totally sucks, big brother (*rats*)

 

man, i wouldn't have thought that to be a fake coin bing...dang. the other pictures posted look blatantly fake to me, but your coin doesn't at all.

they all seem to have a conspicuous seam as well, does yours have a strange edge bing?

 

Yes, and that is what made me research it. The seller's image was good showing no seam. It was the seam that convinced me, nothing else. The rest looks good and not suspicious. Tack it up as another learning experience.

 

That's a bummer bing. eBay purchase you say?

 

Yesss. And a seller I have never dealt with either. Some day some one will hit me with a sledge hammer and I might learn my lesson.

 

But at least the seller was willing to refund. I am dreading the day when it happens to me (and it will probably happen to us all at least once over the years).

Welcome back from Poland mate!

 

Thanks. Glad to be home, but I'm missing my son and grandson already. Too bad they live so far away.

It seems I've had my share of fake purchases over the past year. Like I said, I don't seem to learn my lesson. Someone hit me with a hammer the next time (just not too hard).

 

WOW, looks like we received simultaneous beatings from eBay! Rats...

 

Welcome home, Bing!!!

That Nero looks pretty good to me and I couldn't tell it was a fake by those photos.

I'm glad you found out the truth so quickly and arranged a refund. Too many cast fakes on E-Bay these days it seems...

I had my Greek fake from Agora and that's already one too many for me...and it took TIF to point it out to me after I posted my newest purchase on this forum---otherwise I'd still be unaware that I bought a fake from a reputable auction house.

But neither of us got stuck with it, so it could have been a lot worse...