A Silver Diobol from BULGARIA???

Welcome @Krassi666

 

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Welcome @Krassi666 ! Best to ask before you buy a coin however many members here discourage publicly posting an auction. Best to discuss a pending auction in private. I've never heard of the firm before but there's lots of things I've never heard of before...

Also, your images are likely too small for anyone to help...unless it's an obvious fake. I'm not familiar with these coins so I can't help beyond what I've already wrote.

 

I have all these I want, too. There once was an old wives tale saying that the fakes of these could be told by the eyes in the helmet. THCoins' example and mine above both fit this test but I'm not saying all fakes will fail the test: The subject is a helmet with eye holes cut in the metal. If the coin has details making it look like it has eyes, it is most likely a fake because the fakers seemed to be trying to put eyes on their face rather than just cut holes where they belonged. I still maintain that the best defense is buying only from people who know better but that is not saying that a huge dealer selling thousands of coins each month necessarily employs anyone who has any experience with these AND has kept up with the latest offerings of the shady suppliers. My interest in Black Sea region coins is not so great that I want to spend the effort required to become fully comfortable with the question. I really wonder if we took 1000 fakes of these and mixed in ten genuine coins, how many 'professionals' would be able to find the good needles in that haystack. The easy out is my way and let others buy them.

 

Well, this debate only keeps coming back, and likely will for many years. True, the Black Sea Hoard is largely condemned by most (but one will find many who will offer a dissenting opinion). Doug points out some really good aspects of things to check for: tool marks. If the coin is high grade, and largely 'unworn' one can see the remnant markings of modern rotary tools.

Many years ago when the Bulgarians were first sending fakes to the market I had a table at one of the San Francisco shows (early 1990's). I was a small dealer then (well, I still am a small dealer now and always will be). At this time the Bulgarian dealers were new to the scene and not many of us knew much about them. One of them showed up and began making his rounds through the show. CNG had the #1 table at the entrance, I was towards the back. This dealer made the rounds, selling many coins. When he came to me, he showed me his wares. Many common provincial bronzes, Macedonian bronzes, but a whole pot of Danubian Celtic imitative tetradrachms of Thasos. They were wonderful, and priced right (not cheap, but right, I could make $20 on them). I bought two and he went away to offer to the other dealers. Several hours later I had time to examine them more closely under magnification. They just didn't look right. There were markings on them I could not quantify and they made me uneasy (this was before the knowledge we now have about how dies are made with modern tools). I saw the guy, asked him if I could return them which he said, yes, your loss. Years later these were known fakes, but many were sold in dealers trays and auctions.

What is the point of this expanded story? Check your facts, do your research. I have always advocated the ownership of books. One cant find it all for free on the internet. I know, its hard to spend $200 on a book when one might be able to get a bunch of $5, $10, $20 coins on Ebay. But, well, one gets what they pay for.

Anyway, as to the coins in this topic, I have not seen any that link to the known fake dies. But, I have only so much time.