Hey everyone, I need some input on this coin. I recently picked this up in a lot of coins (I posted it in Ancient Aussie's "ebay bargains thread" here... https://www.cointalk.com/threads/still-some-bargains-to-be-had-on-ebay.312390/page-2#post-3016568 Now I'm getting around to doing individual pics of the coins, and several things about this coin struck me as unusual. Here is my new pic of the coin... #1 One, it's in high relief and pretty thick. Just seemed strange to me. Then again, I only have a few tetrach coins to compare it to, and looking at similar coins online at acsearch, it seems my weight is ok. (It is 25 mm and 10.1g) This one is very similar... https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1025745 #2 I did find similar fake coins of Diocletian from Aquileia on forums fake coin list that were modern Eastern European forgeries, but none of Galerius...but dang, they looked close in style. Here's one @maridvnvm submitted.... http://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/displayimage.php?album=46&pos=57 #3 It has a faint seam on portions of the edge, but no blatant signs of filing. Here is the best I can do with an edge pic. Also shows how thick the coin is and the high relief to some extent! #4 Why do both sides have tiny lines on them? Look on the face of Galerius and the bottom of the reverse (two small ones at top also). I thought they were cracks on the sellers pic, but they are little "seams" in the coin. That is strange isn't it? Like little die breaks? I just don't remember seeing something like that.
Yeah, here is a pic showing where they run, then compare to the original higher res pic.. But they aren't cracks, they are "seam like" elevated areas instead of little crevices. Like the die break on the nose of this LRB, just not nearly as pronounced.
Your coin looks to have been struck from dies that were cracked. I'm most familiar with die cracks on modern coins where it results in a raised line on the struck coin along where the die was cracked. I think there is a difference between a die break and a die crack.
Those are for sure die cracks. I have never seen an ancient cracked like that...but I'm not an expert.
Without seeing the coin in hand, I can't verify its authenticity. But I see nothing wrong with the coin stylistically. Your coin dates from around 301 A.D. (if legit). This is relatively soon after the monetary reform of Diocletian, and thick, high relief folli were the norm at that time.
I have to say I don't like it, Chris. I'm no expert, but apart from the unusual die cracks on both sides, the portrait style looks off for Aquileia, the legends have a "soapy" look, and the letterforms strike me as odd (especially the Q in the mintmark).
Generally based on the photos I would say the coin is ancient. The right kind of casting seams are not unusual on ancients (as the planchets were all cast). It has a slightly 'barbaric' look to the style and lettering and that combined with what looks like die cracks (or as @randygeki point out) might be cracks in a forgers mould, I would say its likely an ancient forgery. Its very interesting.
Ancient forgery, imho. The first one I see on this type. A rare example. I would keep it waiting an upgrade.
Thanks for the input everyone! It certainly is an interesting coin, whatever it is. I hadn't even considered that it could be a ancient forgery.
An ancient cast copy seems like an ok answer, but I do not know how they would have applied a silver wash to a cast coin. I thought low grade silver coins were acid washed and then struck to give the silver coat. Maybe one of our LRB experts here can add some light on that. I just bought a Diocletian / Moneta because it has a great pic of how to hold an equal arm scale. Note the finger technique on both coins below. It looks like how the three stooges were taught to hold a tea cup. I do not have a Claudius / scale quadrans yet. Diocletian AD 284-305, AE silvered Follis Obv - IMP DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG; Laur. bust r. Rev - SACR MONET AVGG ET CAESS NOSTR; AQS in ex.; VI in r. field; Moneta standing l. holding scales and cornucopia Mint: AQS = Aquileia Mint Date: 302 - 303 AD Grade: VZ; EF, some minor striking weakness on rev. 28mm 9.43 g RIC 35; Paolucci 17 Seller Gert Boersema Ancient Coins of MA Shops Quadrans of Claudius sold by CNG.
Now that's a nice lookin' tetrach moneta! I forgot we have a tetrach follis specialist, @jamesicus any ideas?
That's interesting! So was casting ancient AE to pull a fast one? I can't see them making much money of faking these. Or was it an unofficial coinage or something like that? Kind of like conder tokens to fill in a short term lack of coinage? I kind of hope mine is an ancient cast, that's pretty darn cool.
I have been out of the loop for a while and just catching up. Now what do you say when comparing the coin in question to this one (from the fake reports. sold as part of a set of reproductions back in 2008):-
Here is a Diocletian that was sold as part of the same set... And a Constantius Chlorus Along side this Claudius.