I know there was a thread just yesterday that revealed a fake example of one of these, but I thought I'd post mine since I've been scrutinizing it closely over the past few days. It arrived last week, and I had a few niggling doubts about its unusual pattern of surface cracks, as well as some questions on style (spacing of the pellets at the top of Roma's helmet, and the slightly strange rendering of "X" in the "SEX" on the reverse). I looked at all the examples I could find online and did a bit of a double take when I spotted this one in CNG's sales archives: They're not identical, but on the other hand, it's a double die match, shows about the same amount of wear, has a very similar flan shape, and an unnervingly similar centering and strike that crowds (or loses) the devices at the same places. What are the odds? I'm no expert, but I've looked at the coin through a stereo microscope and can find nothing about it that suggests cast or modern. What do you guys think?
Nothing jumps out to say fake. Look at the flaw on the wolfs hindquarters. Notice that it is not repeated on the cng coin the way it would be if they were struck from the same transfer die. Looks good!
I am inclined to accept it as good. It might be good to count dies you can find and see just how odd it is to find a match. Mine is not a match.
Thanks, all, for weighing in with your reassuring opinions. I’m sure one with your name on it will come up soon enough .
A wonderful example, and some others are too. Mine doesn't show the birds so well S. Pompeius Fostlus, Denarius Rome mint, 137 BC Helmeted head of Roma right, X below chin, jug behind head SEX PO [FOSTLVS] She wolf suckling Remus and Romulus, fig tree in background, the shepherd Faustulus behind. ROMA at exergue 3,73 gr Ref : RCV # 112 var, RSC Pompeia # 1a, Crawford # 235/1c Q
Thanks for pointing that out @zumbly! I didn't even notice it was the scarcer variety, you have made my day