I have picked up another bag of Roman coins for assessment. This one looks dodgy to me, but before I condemn I thought I would check. Initially I assumed Gordian III but the bust appears too old a man, so maybe Gordian I RIC 10? Measures about 28mm and weighs 18.7g.
The tip off is the AFR in the obverse legend that was not used by Gordian III. Gordian I had a forehead with hair; Gordian II was bald. ANY 'lot' that you 'pick up' that includes either of the first two Gordians is 'dodgy'. There were enough fakes of Gordian AFRicanus sestertii made in my parent's generation that each collector could have one. I suppose some of them were not aware they had a fake but the concept of a 'space filler' was fashionable in that day so such coins can be expected to be found in grandpa's effects. I do not pretend to have any skill in telling authenticity from even good photos online. I am not saying this is one but we have seen photos of genuine coins posted to make 'experts' look bad. I suppose there is a chance that this is a bad photo of a good coin but the chance of being struck by lightning on a sunny day seems similar.
I don't own, and probably never will, a Gordian I or II. I am not familiar with their coins so I can't have an opinion. But @dougsmit mentioned that fakes come in big numbers. Judging after the rarity of these coins, I doubt somebody would have left them in a lot without noticing them. https://www.forumancientcoins.com/f...=&caption=on&older_than=&keywords=on&type=AND List of fake Gordian I and II Sestertii detected on the FORVM. I don't know if the coin matches one of these.
That pretty much confirms my thoughts - thanks. The group comes from an old chap who has been picking up ancient coins, with very little knowledge or experience, for at least 40 years. Some have proved good buys, but he has also had a number of fakes mixed in, so it is not at all surprising.
It's not quite right for Gordian I, but it's not the worst fake i've ever seen. Here's my entry-level GI sestertius I purchased from Dr Busso:
Mushy details. Possible cast. with many emperors, Gordian I and 2, Valentinian III, etc - if you think you have one you don’t. Especially if it came from an unattributed lot. Nobody in their right mind would toss a GI or 2 in a mixed lot.
