Can anyone help identify this coin? I'm starting to think it's a fake as I cannot find any information on it. I found information relating to its AR counterpart that's identical to it in almost every way except the metal content. The one I have (pictured) is supposedly an AV one. Thank you in advance for the help! "Pergamon, Mysia. AR, civic issue, 310-284 BC. 10mm, 1.32 g. Head of Herakles right, wearing lionskin headdress. / ΠEΡΓAMH, cult image of Pallas Athena (the palladium) standing facing, holding spear and shield. Λ in left field. (Note: the Λ can be upright or sideways). Var of BMC 9-10; McClean 7668-7669; Weber 5160 and Mionnet Supp II, 2 467 (all without Λ in left field). Unpublished but several known." https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/mysia/pergamon/i.html
Don’t do a test cut! Please don’t! I have my thoughts but know too little about these to give you an opinion of any value, so you might want to wait for the experts to chime in. If you want more certainty than this forum can offer, you can still send in the coin to David Sear or NGC. That’s not a guarantee of authenticity, but probably the most reliable professional opinions you can get.
I was debating on sending it to NGC to have it looked at. But I'm having reservations until I feel more confident. I pride myself on research but I have come up empty time and time again. I know it's not a stater; the size and weight are wrong. I searched every Mysia issue and only found the AR issue..
To be honest, I see very little chances of this coin being genuine. The reason for this is simple probability: If a bird crows on top of a dung heap, it’s usually a cock and not an eagle. If you buy a weird and unknown gold-looking coin from a source that is not a trustworthy major seller or auction house, it tends to be a forgery and not a minor numismatic sensation. Yet, again, I am not an expert on Greek gold and strange things have happened before. So if I were you, I would nonetheless not do anything hasty and destructive to that coin!
The weight seems correct for a sixth stater(diobol). However, the only AV(not EL)sixth stater featuring Herakles on the obverse that I can seem to find was minted in Tarentum. There are also 1/8th & 1/4 AV staters featuring Herakles that were produced for Philip II, but they weigh in nearer to 1g, or over 2g respectively. As such, I would be skeptical that such a coin type featuring Herakles and a Palladion statue of Athena exists outside of the full staters. An AV plated AR diobol seems like one of the more logical conclusions for your coin. Of course, this is merely my own logic at work, I’m no expert on this type, nor AV coins minted in Pergamon. As suggested above, a specific gravity test would help determine if it is solid or plated.
Can’t tell much from the picture. Too shiny + can’t see details good , but doesn't seem like an obvious cast, could be a diobol gold plated?
