Hi all! I recently bought this antoninianus of Balbinus, and was wondering if I bought a fake or the genuine article. The coin is on an irregularly shaped flan and is quite badly damaged, with different thicknesses, and weighs 3.33g (which is lighter than most similar antoniniani I've seen, although this could just be put down to the fact that the coin is much thinner on one side). Before I bought it, I searched to see if I could find any fake Balbinus coins with the same obverse and reverse, but didn't find any (hence why I bought it). The weight is concerning me, and the details on the coin look a bit 'soft' to me, although this could just be wear. It's also been suggested it might be some kind of fouree, although I've never seen one before. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
God's honest truth, I don't think it is possible to verify a coin's authenticity from internet photos unless the coin matches a known fraudulent fake. I know how it feels to have doubts about a coin but all that posters can offer is opinion that may be no better than yours, absent that known and documented fake showing up. Perhaps it is the possible ancient plated coin mentioned above but short of getting this coin into the hands of an expert on copies, I would not put too much faith in our abilities to authenticate coins we cannot examine in hand. Perhaps other members could better direct your efforts.
While I agree with everything that Kevin just wrote, I don't see anything in the photo that screams out "Obvious fake!" The wear on the obverse of this coin is not unusual for antoniniani of this time period. The reverse looks like some kind of lamination flaw. Both are typical for this time period. Keep in mind that these coins were, at most, 50% silver, the rest being copper or bronze. If this coin were buried in acidic soil, the acid would leach out the copper and leave the silver behind. Here's an example of an antoninianus of Valerian with similar problems: I'm not saying your coin is legit. I am just saying that I would not condemn your coin based on this photo.
Fakes are not usually designed to be in poor condition, so I agree with @gsimonel and the others. I have a Septimius Severus denarius that is green due to the base metal leeching out, and surface is quite porous and moreover, it is underweight at 2.14 grams.
Bearing in mind the caveats about validating from photos: I also don't see obvious problems. I do see signs of de-lamination - the coins, or possibly the flan before it was struck - lost some thin chunks. This is likely because of flaws in casting the flan - poor mixing of the alloy, uneven or too-rapid cooling, etc. These things introduce structural flaws in the metal matrix and then poof - bits fall off, a crack appears. SC
I am not an expert in determining authenticity. I enjoy seeing them in-hand. However, I know we live in a virtual world. I usually check with several sources prior to purchasing, comparing pics, specs, fakes, and any info that I can search (via internet and/or books). I also ENSURE that I KNOW the SELLER and/or I KNOW the COIN. Here is one of mine just as another picture comparison: Balbinus, AD 238 AR Denarius, 20mm, 3.7g, 12h; Rome, AD 238. Obv.: IMP C D CAEL BALBINVS AVG; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right. Rev.: VICTORIA AVGG; Victory standing front with wreath and palm. Reference: RIC 8 COMMENTS: Decimus Caelius Calvinus Balbinus Pius Augustus ruled for three months during AD 238, the Year of the Six Emperors, not to be confused with the Year of the Five Emperors (193), nor the Year of the Four Emperors (69). Here’s the Reader’s Digest version: everyone fed up with that barbaric goon Thrax; revolt in Africa featuring Gordians I and II; Thrax dispatches Gordians; Senate appoints Pupienus and Balbinus new co-emperors; Pupienus takes a few Roman legions and gives Thrax a good thrashing; when he got back to Rome, Balbinus is all worried that Pupienus is vying for sole reign, so they live in different parts of the palace and give each other dirty looks when they pass in the hallways. Finally, they both manage to piss off the Praetorian Guard, which has them assassinated, and the Senate elevates Gordian III to the throne. Gordian III is only a boy of 13, so basically the empire is ruled by bureaucrats for a few years. Ex: @John Anthony
I would send it to David Sear. It is expensive enough that the $50 would be an investment. He says, "State of preservation is not a factor in determining authenticity"
Here a Balbinus denaius from my collection. It came from a well-known dealer, so I am quite sure that it is good.
If authenticating ancient coins is the same as it is for U.S. pieces, certifying coins with a lot of environmental damage can be really hard. If it’s made of the right metal, how can you tell the difference between a cast piece or a die struck counterfeit with a lot of intentional “damage” from a real piece with lots of problems? With the OP piece, they could get away with having only an obverse die. Sometimes the grading services decline passing an opinion on authenticity because they don’t have enough evidence to say one way or the other.
