Authentic or Copy?

Wow, you and both your writings here and on Forum are a valuable resource. Thank you.

 

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So hard to judge from pictures guys. You’re giving me headaches....
And just for fun, are they fake or real.................?

 

Somethings up there.

 

No one wants to look uninformed, but I don't care. I will give it a shot. The only one that looks authentic to me is number 2. However, I am only taking a stab in the dark here. I purchased my coin (shown above) from a well known seller so I wouldn't have to guess if it's real or not.

 

The third coin has copper showing through, which dadams and furryfrog02 pointed out, and which Kentucky said that he did not notice when the coins were in hand. I cite M. H. Crawford, “Plated Coins, False Coins,” Numismatic Chronicle, 1968. Some people will continue to argue - perhaps with epigraphic evidence - that "official" fourees are known from the Roman Empire. Whether that is true or not no one has argued for official fakes from Greece, with one minor exception, the "copper owls" of Athens c. 406 BCE. And I showed why even those are fake fakes, not official fakes in
“Copper Owls: The Emergency Coinage of Athens 406 BC,” The Celator, Vol. 19, no. 10 (October 2005), p. 6-16: ill., map.

Basically, Kentucky, you bought a misattributed coin. It was not genuine as described. You should return it, if you can.

 

I'll agree with @Bing and pick the center, although I don't really like any of them.

 

I said I didn't notice it in-hand, but saw it in the picture. I have often noticed that pictures will pick out details. Actually I bought the three together.

 

post #7

 

You're in trouble now. Surely I'm wrong.

 

According to Fake coin Report on FAC, all of them are modern forgeries!
Knowing absolutely nothing about Greek coins, I’d say the 3 of them seems OK to me......​

 

Some of this depends on our definition of terms and details not disclosed. Of the three, the first might be OK if it is a small fraction but the style is outside what I would accept if it is a stater. Are ancient counterfeits or barbarous issues considered good or bad in your way of reckoning? The coin below is not an official mint product but I consider it to be ancient but a barbarous minor fraction.
1.1g


The one below is 0.8g but I am calling official despite a couple features I have trouble explaining. Some here will see those features but remember the coin weighs 0.8g.

I am not a specialist in these and am subject to that problem many of us have that makes us want to see the best in our coins. We can prove some coins to be fake in several ways but it is much harder to prove innocence. Where do we draw the line of 'reasonable doubt'? If you want an expert opinion, ask an expert. You might get lucky and find a real expert on a coin right here on CT but taking a poll of all of us does not guarantee truth. I am comfortable with my skills in some areas. Istros, especially from photos, is not on that list.