Please offer your thoughts as to the genuineness of this Julian II AE-1, minted in Cyzicus. While I have no reason to believe it is fake off-hand, the mere fact the seller has some negative ratings on eBay and ships from Bulgaria has me concerned. The coin is stated as 8.62 grams and 29mm, as one would expect Thanks for your assistance and opinions---especially Martin if he is on-line LOL Sellers photos:
I checked the fake lists on Forum and I didn't see anything listed precisely as this one except one that Martin noted was from another seller that is notorious for selling 'tooled' coins---a different issue entirely... The seller is K Forest and states he is located in England, BUT ships from Eastern Europe, particularly Bulgaria of all places---the hot spot of fakes. The bull does look a bit odd---thinner than most examples, but there are others like it---presumably not fakes LOL
I think the coin may be OK because of the green crust on the lower left of the obverse. Why would a fake have just a patch of crust like that?
I don't know. The coin may be legit, but the Julian Bull types are scarce, desirable, and pricey. Do you really want to buy it on eBay from Bulgaria and wonder about its authenticity? Personally, I don't care to drive through certain neighborhoods.
Thats me, i've seen coins that look ok but I see Bulgaria and its "stay away". Shame the fakes keep people like us from wanting to buy from legit sellers that live there. Same with China.
Yeah, the doubts would bother me for as long as I had it...so I'll pass on this one even though the seller was negotiating lower than his original asking price... Guys and Gals--Enjoy the 4th!!! It's getting noisy as hell around here!! LOL
I'm worse. Not only will I not buy from Bulgaria, I see no reason for buying things I can get easily otherwise from places I question in any way. That includes any country that thinks antiquity belongs to them because they still live there but my ancestors left. I buy from the UK and Germany with some frequency but not coins that are common enough I could have bought them in Baltimore. Your bull is prettier than any of my bulls. Is it older? If you get it and don't like it, will you send it back for refund?
Is Baltimore a safe neighborhood anymore? I didn't particularly like walking through the parking garage with a pocketful of expensive coins. And that was before it erupted in anarchy.
As a matter of fact I am skipping this month's show but we always ride the bus that lets us off at the door. That is one reason to dress like someone with nothing worth stealing.
Guys, for better or worse, I pulled the trigger on this one since the seller notified me he would accept the lower offer I made just after I posted this thread---which was unexpectant but hopeful at the time.. I also noticed I purchased a coin from K Forest months ago---my Maximus Sestertius, which we negotiated and it appears genuine to anyone who has viewed it. And, I paid thru eBay/Paypal ---so I can feel comfortable about any returns/refunds if that becomes an issue in the future....as I have had several 'refunds' for other reasons accomplished successfully in the past.. With free shipping, it costs me $210.00 and I couldn't resist that price, especially since I have no reason to believe the coin offered for sale is not genuine...hopefully I'm right and I'll be happy with what I actually receive.. Thanks for all the comments .....
I cannot find a match in any of the fake reports but something about the reverse looks wrong. The only way to tell for sure is with the coin in hand.
