New Galla Placidia (And Authenticity Concerns)

My new Galla Placidia came in the mail today. I was very excited until I dug a little too deeply into forvm's boards and made some unpleasant discoveries.

I figured that any auction house that listed coins on numisbids would be safe to buy from, however it turns out that this particular auction house has been accused before of peddling numerous fakes see: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=113460.0

Additionally here are a number of (probable) Galla Placidia fakes, at least one of which was also sold by this auctioneer http://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=109246.0

Also if you search for "Galla Placidia ae" on acsearch more than half of the results were sold by this same auction house--which seems odd for a rare coin. At least to my eye they do not all look like die matches, which is slightly reassuring.

What do you think? Am I (and possibly the original poster on forvm) being paranoid? Or is this definitely a fake?

Something else to keep in mind is that the cost of authentication would be about 50% the price of the coin itself.

Fill out the poll and post your thoughts in the comments... your advice is greatly appreciated!

(seller's photo-- unfortunately I have no camera to take a better one with)


Galla Placidia. Rome. c. 425-435 wife of Constantius III, regent for Valentinian III, AE 1/2 Centenionalis (421), 1,40g. DN GALLA PLA-CIDIA PF AVG, Female, pearl-diademed bust right, wearing necklace and earrings. Sear 4282, LRBC 844.

 

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When I saw your coin I immediately thought of this seller. They always sell "rare" coins that are cast in the same manner independent of date or civilization. But I can't make a determination from the your auction photo. Authentication is worth it, if it is a real Galla Placidia, but I have my doubts. Are there local late Roman dealers near you that can look at it in person?

 

I do vaguely recall seeing fake rare nummi with that kind of fabric, and with that style of photography. Is it from a well-known European seller that is on eBay as well?

By the way , here is my own authentic Placidia as a comparison:

 

Yes, they also have an ebay store I believe. these are so crude to begin with that I have a hard time telling if the style is right. Also there's a lack of good coins to compare it to, since all the ones from the same auction house are similarly suspicious. Jealous that you've definitely got the real deal! Nice coin!

 

@David@PCC They do all have that same "look."

Does anyone know how it's produced? I'd describe it as really smooth weirdly laminated surface over a very rough patina, where it almost looks like the tops of the raised areas have been sliced off.

Here are a few random examples from the seller you linked to (not the same seller as I bought from-- just to be clear):

 

I think it was from them whom I nearly won a fake Odoacer from a few years ago. In retrospect one of the few auctions I was glad to lose! Now I am a lot more wary when it comes to the rare late Roman/early Germanic rulers. They have become a big target for forgers in recent years.

 

I am sorry that I cannot help @ycon ... I captured mine from a very well known and reputable Seller whom I buy from a lot.

My Placidia:


RI Aelia GALLA PLACIDIA Augusta Regent for Valentinian III 423-437 CE mo of Theodosius Æ4 Bust E - cross CID visible ex FSR 102

 

The one thing all of these have in common is the chemically induced corrosion.

 

I really avoid late Roman AE4s. I think it's reasonable to say that the crude-style AE4s are practically un-authenticatable. Especially when they're really worn. I imagine a forger could make a lot of money out of fake Libius Severus Ricimer-monogram AE4s - all he needs to do is render a tiny portrait in poor style (and corrode it a little to disguise any errors) then stick a simple monogram on the reverse.

Your Galla Placida could be real, another ruler, or a fake. I don't think there ever can be a definitive answer. I'd want a solidus of hers instead, that i can scrutinize and determine for myself that it's the real thing.

 

@Greg Heinrich a galla placidia solidus is a dream coin, but I don't think I'll have the means for that in the foreseeable future.

 

I think it is a modern fake, but I am not voting from those choices for lack of an appropriate option: "I think it is fake, but not worth sending to Sear. Try getting your money back."

Mine is not great:


11 mm. 1.06 grams.
Bold cross.
[SALVS REI] PVBLIC[ ]
John Kent personally identified it for me!
RIC X 2110ff. Rome, c. 425-435.

 

I think these originate in Bulgaria or Serbia. I remember first seeing this type of fabric, design and lettering style in 2014 on a purported coin of Eraric.

Unfortunately it's a fake.

 

It's very suspicious that a number of these, with a similar appearance, have come to market in the last few years (first one in 2014, unless you count one in 2013 from the same auction house that looks like an obvious fake to me). They all have the same pointy-nose, pointy-chin w/ prominent hair bumps portrait style, a cross with thin arms, unusually crisp devices, the corrosion that Ken noted, and usually a diagnostic part of the legend just happens to be visible. I have stayed away because they all look like fakes to me. Unfortunately, @Alegandron, yours falls into the mold as well. Your coin originally came up on ebay from a reputable seller who noted that it was possibly a fake, and I remember that FSR had his suspicions until he saw the "CID" in hand... but I suspect he's made a mistake this time.

If one of you were to submit it for authentication, I think it would be a good service to the community. I'd be willing to contribute towards the fee.

 

The "Eraric monogram" from January 2014. Notice the overall appearance, the thin lettering, the bust design and the fabric of the flan:

 

Yes, I think all of the coins appearing on eBay with this fabric are fakes. There is at least one eBay seller who simultaneously offers coins with this surface on coins he (falsely) says are Judean, Medieval, third-century Roman, fifth-century Roman, Merovingian, and Byzantine. None are even close to the correct fabric.

Of course, reporting him repeatedly to eBay yields nothing. I wonder if some clever lawyer won't figure out some way to force eBay to change their ways. If a seller has been reported to eBay many times as a fakeseller, are they not facilitating criminal activity? Well, without a doubt they are, but the real question is if there is any legal remedy. So far, the answer seems to be "No".

 

Another from the same "workshop" sold on ebay around January 2014:

 

Probably fake. I'd steer clear of it. In any case the eye-appeal is non-existent.

 

When Zuckerburg had his feet held to the fire, who had blown the whistle and how did they do it? Complaints to Congressmen across the US (since eBay has its legal center in US)? BTW philatelists are equally upset with eBay distance from oversight responsibility. The stopper for most is the EULA that limits complaints to arbitration. But complaints to congressmen should get around that.


The prime complaint from collectors is eBay failure to uphold the Hobby Protection Act.

 

Modern fake, hands down. A couple years ago, they were listed all the time on eBay from Serbia, now from "UK" or where have you.

Three things give it away.
1. This patina is textbook for these. You can't depend on this alone. I got one Zenonis with an amazing patina but someone that studies fifth century dies help confirm my suspicion based on the style.
2. A portion of the coin is illegible, but they have enough details to definitively identify the type .
3. The details that remain are way too fine for 5th century coins.

All you had to do is show me that picture and say auction house and I know who it is. I have yet to see a definitive AE of Avitus for sale but somehow, they are able to wrangle that up.