I posted this over at FORVM a week ago, since there is a dedicated fakes board. I didn't get any responses, so I thought I'd post it here in hopes of getting an opinion. There's something weird about the edge of this coin, but flans can be weird, so I'm not sure what I think of it. The coin in question is a small AE from Ebusus, an island off the coast of Spain which was the site of a Phoenician colony and which was named for the Egyptian god Bes, who is depicted on this coin. I've noticed that these do tend to have prominent sprues and occasionally some sharpish looking edges. They look relatively normal except for the areas around the sprues (4 and 10 o'clock on the obverse), which are very sharp, though not quite what I'd call 'filed.' Do you think this is more likely to be due to preservation and harsh cleaning, or could it be some sort of pressed fake? The weight is okay for the type (4.3g).
@zumbly has one of the best I've seen of this type, I would ask him. If it's a fake it would be a cast possibly from lost wax and not pressed. My guess is that is was only partially cleaned but authentic. Hopefully it will darken over time if you plan on keeping it.
I wish I had more experience with the type to venture a useful opinion based on fabric and how yours looks given the state of preservation, but I really only have the one I purchased from Steve. I have to admit I haven't even looked at many other examples online, so anyone's guess is as good as mine, really. Sorry, I couldn't be of more help here. Here's mine/Steve's: IBERIA, Islands off, Ebusus (Ibiza) AE Quarter Unit. 3.33g, 17.3mm. Circa 2nd century BC. ACIP 719; SNG BM Spain 318-21. O: Squatting Kabeiros (Bes) holding club and serpent. R: Bull butting left. Ex stevex6 Collection
Hadn’t thought of mounting, but it’s not impossible. Who knows where our coins have been in the past, right? I saw @zumbly’s coin in the CNG archive when I was researching the type. Very nice!
