(auction win) The dawn of coinage and counterfeits

Today I picked up the fourrée below:


IONIA. Uncertain. Fourrée Hemihekte (Circa 625-600 BC).
Obv: Raised swastika pattern.
Rev: Quadripartite incuse square punch.
0.97g 8mm

I was keen to get this coin, as it makes a nice companion to one I already had (not a fourrée):

IONIA. Uncertain. Electrum hekte (Circa 625-600 BC).
Obv: Raised swastika pattern.
Rev: Quadripartite incuse square punch.
2.53g 9mm

Struck on the Phokaic weight standard, these early lumps of metal probably come from somewhere in northern Ionia when coins were still a novelty. However, there was clearly enough standardization and trust that counterfeiting had a chance of success... even for a counterfeit that was underweight, like the first coin above (a hemihekte), which should really be half the weight of the second (a hekte).

Testimony to both the good and bad sides of human ingenuity!

This is (finally) my first thread-starter on CoinTalk. Please add your own examples from the dawn of coinage, preferably overlapping with the 7th century.

 

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Sev Alex => congrats on the super-cool pickup

 

Wow, interesting coin. I have never seen a fourree of one of those.

 

my only fourree
Augustus temple denarius

 

Fantastic find, and a great pair!

 

those are nice fourees, the art(disambiguation) just a little younger, but not much, than the originals.

 

I don't have any coins from the pre-design period solid or plated. These are two of my earlier ones.

Persia 1/3 siglos type II mid 5th century BC (Darius I era)


Neapolis Macedon stater c.500 BC (my earliest large fourree)

 

Great seeing pair that belong like that. Nice additions, SA.

 

I love those, @dougsmit. The bright green on the 1/3 siglos is arresting.

 

Just the first one is a fourrée, as far as I know! (Sorry, that wasn't fully clear from my original description. I'll edit it.)

 

O..ok...

 

This is my oldest coin, an electrum 1/24 stater of Phokaia (Phocaea) with the head of a seal on the obverse and an incuse on the reverse, dating from about 625-575. I wouldn't know about weights and contemporary fakes, but it's original according to the auction house, ref. Bodenstedt Em. 2.1.; 7 mm, 0.69 gr.

 

Electrum coins are cool. Unfortunately, they are a little too expensive for me.

Here is my bro's 1/96th stater from 625-600. It's a tiny thing at 4.5mm.



Erin

 

That is pretty tiny, Erin...same league as 1/32 AV Dukat/ 1/4 AV Fanams/ definately not good if you had a hole in your pocket

 

Every time you post that one, I love it!
Such an early coin and one of the firsts in history. Very cool!

 

For more about fourrees, see, "Ancient imitations of Roman coins":

http://augustuscoins.com/ed/imit/

The last page linked to has Greek imitations, including one siglos like Doug's:

http://augustuscoins.com/ed/imit/Greek.html

My favorite Greek imitation is this fourree of a shekel of Tyre:

29-28 mm (full-size). 11:30. 12.50 grams (originals weigh about 14-14.5 grams).
A coin of wonderful style. Look at that laurel wreath!
The copper core is visible on the obverse at the edge from 9:00-11:30 and at 3:00. It is visible on the reverse at 3:00-4:00.
Laureate head of Melqarth right
/eagle standing left on beak of a ship, cornucopia under right wing, in field left, a club and symbols, in right field a monogram.
The prototype legend begins at 1:00 and says: TYPOY IERAS KAI ASULOU
This attempt at reproducing the legend is crude.

 

Yes ... the dawn and start of Mercury and counterfeits. See how they end up here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/252807255283?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

<VVBG>.

I trace the development of mercury to silver electrodeposition and finally Modern Chinese forgeries in my new book Forgotten - soon you anti-PCGS U.S. Federal ancient HEADS. LOL.

 

Warren shows the later type III style like mine below. They also come in Type IV but I don't have one. I have not seen a Type I fourree. I really would like the Croesid bull and lion type fourree as mentioned on Warren's page but always get outbid.

 

Fouree's of this type are still on my want list.

I'd LOVE to add an example or two of the earliest Greek imitations to complement the 'Roman' coins I already have.