Greek Alexander III

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by capthank, Nov 13, 2015.

?

Is it real or a fake and how do I tell the difference?

Poll closed Nov 20, 2015.
  1. Real

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  2. Fake

    100.0%
  1. capthank

    capthank Well-Known Member

    I posted pictures below and am asking if this coin is real? I found it in a glass cigar tube filled with Liberty Dimes. I labeled the coin as to what I think it is. Thanks for any help.
     

    Attached Files:

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  3. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    Can you remove it from the flip and take a picture of it, rather than a scan? Scans always make silver coins look suspect. A higher-resolution pic would be good, like around a 1000 pixels wide.
     
  4. capthank

    capthank Well-Known Member

    I'll give it a try
     
  5. capthank

    capthank Well-Known Member

    Here is my try
     

    Attached Files:

  6. Pishpash

    Pishpash Well-Known Member

    Can you post the diameter in mm and the weight in grams please? Don't hold your breath on this one methinks.
     
  7. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    I'm new to ancient coins, but I vote fake. Too round, and the way the light glints off the edge in the obverse image makes it look as if the edge has been mechanically filed. Patina also looks painted or applied. And all of that aside, there is just something about it which screams out "tourist coin" to me.
     
    dougsmit likes this.
  8. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    Looks fake to me too.
     
  9. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    Here are the cropped and joined images from the thread you posted this in four days ago. As requested then, larger images might be helpful-- but perhaps not, since it seems to be fake based on the information presented so far. Weight on the 2x2 is stated as 4.3 gm.

    [​IMG]

    Not many people weighed in, but I did post a link to what appears to be a match in a fakes database.
     
    KIWITI and ancientcoinguru like this.
  10. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    Man, I love "The Riverside Hotel" paper ... it gives it even less of an authentic chance (I want to circle "dream") ...

    [​IMG]


    ... but I'm a bad vote => for I always like the look of fakes (they usually choose really nice coins)

    => Hey, I always want ancient coins to be proven "authentic" ... I hope that this baby runs the gauntlet and proves to be a total stallion!!

    => good luck, capthank

    :rolleyes:
     
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2015
  11. capthank

    capthank Well-Known Member

    4.0 to 4.1 grams and 3.048mm
     
  12. capthank

    capthank Well-Known Member

    Thanks a lot for the info and better picture
     
  13. IdesOfMarch01

    IdesOfMarch01 Well-Known Member

    Disclaimer: I'm not overly knowledgeable about Greek coins, although I've viewed many of them both online and in catalogs.

    When looking at the obverse of this coin, the regularity and consistent striking of the ring of raised dots surrounding the portrait looked extremely suspicious. I did a search on ACSEARCH of this coin and got 150 matches, of which about half are this type. Not a single one had an obverse as well centered, nor were there any with all the raised dots visible and well struck. Based on that comparison alone, I can't imagine that this coin is genuine.

    I voted fake.
     
  14. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    :oops:

    *rats*

    Hey don't give up hope quite yet ... maybe somebody else will send you a Hail-Mary and prove it to be the Holy Grail?

    monty python h grail 5.jpg

     
    chrsmat71 likes this.
  15. capthank

    capthank Well-Known Member

    Real or Fake it was a fun find and has me starting to learn about coins. Hey, I knew it wasn't a Dime!
     
    stevex6 likes this.
  16. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    Exciting though, eh?

    Hey cap, maybe you should spend $20 and buy a real ancient coin ... yah, they can be that inexpensive (amazing, eh?)

    => here is a link to your possible next ATG ancient coin ...

    https://www.vcoins.com/en/Search.aspx?search=true&searchQuery=alexander the great &searchQueryExclude=&searchCategory=0&searchCategoryLevel=2&searchCategoryAncient=True&searchCategoryUs=False&searchCategoryWorld=False&searchCategoryMedieval=False&searchBetween=0&searchBetweenAnd=0&searchDate=&searchUseThesaurus=True&searchDisplayCurrency=&searchDisplayAsList=False&searchIdStore=0&searchQueryAnyWords=&searchExactPhrase=&searchTitleAndDescription=True&searchDateType=0&searchMaxRecords=100&SearchOnSale=False&Unassigned=False


    ... capthank, I hope you search that link and find a sweet example in your price-range (warning though, for these ancient coins are very addictive)
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2015
  17. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    If that is an ancient coin, then I have another ancient coin to sell you. Ignore what appears to be an 1858 date on it, that's really cuneiform for "This coin is really ancient...honestly!" :smuggrin:;)

    1858 Flying Eagle Cent (Large Letters) Obverse.jpg



    * Sorry guys, I couldn't resist. I really love this coin and wanted to share something from the lighter side of coin collecting...ie. slabbed Americans. Please don't ban me for this abomination.
     

    Attached Files:

  18. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    Slabbed Americans?!! ... you can buy 'em already slabbed?!!

    You mean I've been wasting all of this time collecting ancient coins when I could have been collecting coins from a few years ago at extremely high prices!!?

    :woot:

    ... just jokes, Sallent (I also have previous non-ancient coin-collecting avenues) ... but they all seem so long ago now, eh? (once bitten by the dark-side, you seem to never look back)
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2015
  19. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    It is all a matter of supply and demand. Millions of people like those eagles. I even wanted the type and bought one when it wasn't even a hundred years old yet and you could get culls for a dollar. Your coin is better but mine was easier to photograph.
    01cflyea58.jpg

    Many fewer want ancients. This hobby was cheaper for me before Steve found out about it and started paying all those Canadian nickels for ancients. Now he wants to tell another generation our best kept secret. Hush!

    I started collecting ancients because my sensibility prevented me paying more than a nickel for a nickel even if it had a buffalo on it. It did not seem so bad paying $2 for a denarius.
     
    Sallent likes this.
  20. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    That's the truth!
     
    Alegandron and John Anthony like this.
  21. Magnus Maximus

    Magnus Maximus Dulce et Decorum est....

    I have a confession to make! I do collect a few moderns!!
    I tend to collect coins and bank notes from Communist countries, I find the iconography on them to be fascinating.

    RUSSIA, SOVIET (USSR). 1924. 50 KOPEKS. VF.
    Russia, Soviet (USSR). 1924. 50 Kopeks (26 mm, 9.92 g).
    image.jpg
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2015
    Pishpash and stevex6 like this.
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