Four Large Roman coins - 3 fake, one genuine?

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by PaddyB, Sep 2, 2021.

  1. PaddyB

    PaddyB Eccentric enthusiast

    Germanicus 1-side.JPG Julia Mamaea 1-side.JPG Roman Greek 1-side.JPG Vespasian 1-side.JPG I fear that 3 of these are fakes, but I am hopeful the Julia Mamaea is genuine - any thoughts?
     
    coin_nut and Bing like this.
  2. Avatar

    Guest User Guest



    to hide this ad.
  3. Evan Saltis

    Evan Saltis OWNER - EBS Numis LLC Supporter

    Of all of them, I think the Julia looks most authentic.
    Not an expert though.
     
    PaddyB likes this.
  4. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    The third one is authentic - a provincial bronze of Phillip I or II I believe.
     
    PaddyB likes this.
  5. PaddyB

    PaddyB Eccentric enthusiast

    Thank you! Are you sure? It looked the most fake to me as it has a very even rim and consistent thickness.
     
  6. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    That coin appears pitted, probably was harshly cleaned to remove encrustations that caused the pitting. Not sure why a forger would go to the trouble to copy a provincial bronze in most cases.
     
    PaddyB likes this.
  7. Archeocultura

    Archeocultura Well-Known Member

    Numbers 1 and 4 differ from the other two that their flat surfaces are not flat at all and details are completely lacking. The Mammaea and the Philip are pretty common. The philip with its even thickness and rough surface is symptomatic for many of the issues there.

    Frans
     
    sand and PaddyB like this.
  8. nicholasz219

    nicholasz219 Well-Known Member

    I agree in that two and three are probably genuine. Three is from Samosata and looks pretty normal.
     
    PaddyB likes this.
  9. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    Of all Roman coins, provincials are known for being the most regular in terms of diameter and thickness. For some reason, especially for larger coins, provincial flans were prepared very carefully.

    This coin is 100% genuine, but it could look fake due to the perfectly round flan and smooth edges.
    Philip I AE30 BMC Antioch 527.JPG
     
    sand, Bing and PaddyB like this.
  10. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    From where I sit:

    #1 and #4 look suspicious.

    #2 looks OK.

    #3, I dunno, but as far as I know (which isn't saying much), it looks OK.
     
    PaddyB likes this.
  11. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    #1 General rule of thumb: ALL three-sisters sestertii are fake unless you buy them from a reputable auction house and they have a pedigree longer than that of a Kentucky Derby winner.

    #2 I presume it's a sestertius. Looks genuine to me and there's no good reason to fake such a common and low-priced coin. Here's the example in my own numophylacium.

    Mamaea FELICITAS PVBLICA standing sestertius.jpg

    3. Probably genuine. You'd be surprised at how carefully certain provincial mints prepared their flans.

    4. Don't know enough about Flavians to say.
     
    PaddyB and Bing like this.
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page