Old coin... any ancient coin knowledge?

Gift given years ago. I’m a history professor but am completely ignorant when it comes to numismatics.

Supposedly came from a small city coin shop.

I know the basic history of Lysimachus and coins made honoring Alexander, but not much else.

 

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I am one of the least experienced re ancients on CT, but something looks off to me about this coin...I think it's the smooth fields. So, I'm tossing this out for the fun of it, and am interested in what the experienced ancient folk think.

Steve

 

@Lobokai, welcome to CT!

Unfortunately, you posted this in the "What's It Worth" forum, one which very few ancients collectors visits.

If you repost this in the "Ancient Coins" forum, you with receive a plethora of valuable responses. (I am not one who can help you.)

 

Please have this thread moved to the Ancients forum. Those people are very knowledgeable.

 

I reported it, requesting a move. I know Efesos is Ephesus, of pretty familiar fame and that Lysimachus, a diadochi, put Alexander on his coins

here’s the reverse image. While not heavy, the coin is surprisingly heavy for its size

 

Thank you, now just be patient until it happens.

 

It's a bit difficult to determine from your pictures. If it is silver it may be a tetradrachma. Can you get its weight in grams. Depending on what standard Ephesus was using at that time (Attic, I think) it should weigh in about 17 grams. If you can put up another picture, place a familiar object in the picture (like a US dime) so we can have relative scale. Lastly, if you take some more pictures try to use natural daylight, but not direct unfiltered sunlight.

 

Would you have the weight, in grams, and the diameter in mm?

Here is a Tetradrachm of mine from Lysimachos

LYSIMACHOS


Thrace -Lysimachos AR Tet 14.3g 28.7mm 305-281 BCE Alexander head-Ammon horns - rev Lysimachos Athena;
Ex: Forum Ancient Coins

 

Sadly, it is not authentic.

 

The metal looks coppery when it should be silver. If that is the cade, it is not authentic

 

I’m not worried about copper, worked with enough old copper in American and Roman digs to know it’s not that.

here it is in good lighting and with a quarter for scale (zeroed the scale with the quarter on).

I don’t have the most precise measurement, but looked like 29mm, but certainly not less than that.

 

Most likely a Slavey replica or similar. Look to the bottom of the reverse and you may see a stamped mark like mine:

 

I think the point is that this is not 'old' copper or anything else. It is new manufacture to sell to tourists at gift shops. The tag bothers me since the Greek words are transcribed into English alphabet.

 

The scale reads "12". Is that 12 grams? If the weight is 12 grams for your coin, your coin would not likely be a tetradrachma which its diameter would suggest. At 12 grams it would be quite a bit underweight for a silver coin of that diameter, no matter which weight standard the coin was minted on.

 

I love to see you "ancient folks" in action. I never cease to be impressed.

Steve

 

It looks like a tetradrachm of Lysimachos. I am not able to condemn nor authenticate it from the photo. Here is what an authentic one looks like:

https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=341812

Notice the size and weight (30mm, 17.06 g). If authentic, yours would be very close in both respects. If yours weighs under 16.5 g, it is most likely a copy in a different metal.

Here are some more examples for you to compare your coin to:
https://www.acsearch.info/search.ht...s=1&thesaurus=1&order=0&currency=usd&company=

If it is authentic, your coin would probably be worth something in the $125-175 range because of its condition. Pristine examples, like the one I linked to at the top, are worth much more.

 

Compare your coin to my coin, its obvious your coin is a replica.

 

Okay, Andres2, so now I get to show how stupid I am:
Is your coin legit or a cast copy? (Are those air bubbles in the field in front of the face?) How does the image show the OP to be an "obvious fake"? Is it because it looks similar to yours or different? These is quite a stylistic range in these coins, (e.g., https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3327632), so what are the telltale signs?

I'm not disagreeing with you, I just want to know what you can see that makes it obvious.

 

My coin is legit, the bubbles were created by casting the planchet, many tets of Lysimachos show these bubbles.
Compare the head and outstreching arm of Athena on the reverse, on the obverse the hair of Lysimachos.

 

Andres2's example has wear, but it is on the high points, as would be expected from circulation. Look at the eye on the obverse bust. It is still sharp because it is a recessed area. Look also at the areas where the obverse bust meets the fields: there is sharpness there as well. Like with the chin of Lysimachos.

The other coin shows very soft details everywhere, which should not be possible with a genuine coin. I think if you compare both it should be quite obvious that the style is wrong as well.