I bought this Sestertius (RIC 512d, 30 mm, 19 gr) as genuine a year ago, but cannot find any die matches. Also I think that the portrait style (as nice as I think it is) does not quite match that of comparable specimen. What do you think?
Look at the fields under magnification. I see some pits in the photo...if they are irregular then its probably corrosion. If they are uniform in shape or appearance then it is probably evidence of casting bubbles.
Hard to say from the photo, but it does appear cast. Also, the lettering should be much more uniform on these types (on yours they seem crude and irregular). I would suggest you send it to someone for in-person verification).
It's really hard to say just seeing the pictures. In my opinion, I believe that it is struck, but it was cleaned a bit agressive way, but without remove the patina completely. I think that it would be interesting to see pics of the coin's edge, to evaluate possible lines of fusion, or better, signs of casting.
The softness would make me believe it is cast from the image but it is really impossible to be sure from the images alone unless we have a matching clone.
You have a point there! The lettering on my other Caracalla Sestertius is VERY uniform in comparison: Here it is. Are those signs of edge filing? No clones found (yet), but looking at the above picture, the softness of the high relief portrait and the letters is bothering me as well, just like the general lack of detail on the reverse figure, which nevertheless maintains it´s high relief. David Sear also let me know that as far as he can tell from the photo, it could be a cast. But I think before I spend the money for verification, I´d rather ask the seller to take it back right away.
Hmmm .... I did not like this border ... the impression it gives me is that it has been filed to try to hide the melting line caused by the casting process. It does not look at all with a natural edge of a sestertium. But of course, that based on an image. With the coin in hand, the bad impressions can of course change.
There are plenty of genuine coins with filed edges, a result of flan preparation. I cant tell from the photo, but with all the other aspects taken into account I would be hesitant on it. You would do well to ask for a return, or, if it was a good sum of money on the sale you might ask if the seller would pay for Sear's authentication fee.
I agree with you, @Ken Dorney, but adding such changes to the coin's rim, with the apparent filling of the letters of the legend and even the areas of wear incompatible with the rest of the coinage surface, I think that coin must be seen with much more care. Just to disguise the melting line formed in the coin's edge by a casting process, the falsifiers try to smooth the rim. So... At first, I really thought it's possible to be a hammered coin, but adding the other findings, I really put that hypothesis in doubt. I suggest that it be examined in hands and if possible with the aid of a microscope.
Thanks, Ken! I did just that and the friendly seller within a minute agreed do refund the coin instead of having it inspected by Sear . Interestingly, he told me that he had acquired it from the same auction house where I had bought my Pupienus Sestertius that had also been condemned as a cast by Sear. I hope they take it back from my seller... Thanks everybody here for helping (again) !!!
