I have this tetradrachm, and I dont know if its real, could anyone help? Thanks. The c on the cheek is imperfect and tilted 17 grams
Photos alone can be tough to judge. That said, the overall style in the photos looks fine for Seleukos I tetradrachm from Babylon, though I'll have to double check the control marks on the reverse. Can you provide weight and diameter? An authentic Seleukos tetradrachm should weigh between 17.2 and 16.8 g as a general rule of thumb, with the typical weight around 17.1 grams. If the coin is too light, say 14 g, then that would raise a red flag.
Unless it’s a terrible copy, it’s almost impossible to discern if a coin is real or not from photographs. Ancient coins are never perfect and considerable variation is to be expected. Why do you question the authenticity of the coin? Did you acquire it from a questionable seller or one on the fake seller list? Was the price too good to be true? Is it a die match for coins in Fake Reports? On warm days does chocolate drip from a seam along the edge? That last is a joke, but the point is if you acquired it from a reliable source you should have nothing to worry about. More than anything, the source of the coin will influence opinion on authenticity. If acquired from a reputable ancient coin dealer, the odds of it being real are very high. If acquired for a euro from a kid outside the Colliseum, the odds of it being real are very low. Most coins from random “Estate Find!!!!!” type eBay sellers are little above the kid outside the Colliseum.
The C on the obverse, but that might be a bankers mark, and the odd blob on the reverse at 3 o clock.
I’m as far from an expert as they come, but for what it’s worth the “C” looks to me like a countermark. Alexander tets often have countermarks, punches, and test cuts. I don’t think a countermark is anything to worry about. I’m not sure what odd blob at 3 o’clock you are referring to. The design is running off the flan, but off center strikes are the norm for ancient coins. If you got it from a reliable source you have nothing to worry about.
