I did something today I tell others not to do. I bought a coin I cannot identify off Ebay from a seller in Portugal I do not know. My only excuse (and rationalization) is that the cost of the coin was $3.25 plus shipping for a grand total of $8.25. If the coin is a fake I will not have lost my shirt. Now to the coin itself. I cannot make out the legend on either side and the obverse bust is not only unfamiliar to me, but looks fake or more modern than Roman. The reverse is what caught my eye and the sole reason for making the purchase. Does anyone recognize this coin (sorry for the poor quality images. They are the sellers pictures)? I appreciate any and all help
Gordian III Deultum, Thrace. I see no reason to doubt it from the photo. The reverse is some river god (what river runs through Deultum? ... or is it the Black Sea personified?). This will be one of the coins illegal to import when the Bulgarian MOU goes through. I'd say it was a steal at the price.
Thats interesting you bring that up. Do you thing it will be more difficult to get coins from Moesia ?
Thanks a ton Doug. I would have spent a sleepless night trying to find this coin. Even though I went against my own advice buying a coin I didn't recognize from a dealer I don't know, turned out alright this time around. BTW, Ancient Deultum was situated on the Parysus river. Thanks again JW
Very nice provincial. I have a few river god scenes, and have half thought of collecting them. I knew the second I saw the reverse that if authentic that was an extremely interesting coin, and I had never seen another like it. Very nice pickup. Sometimes I wish I simply had more money, time, or both to collect all of the specialty areas that interests me. Chris
The question becomes who and how determines what is covered by such an import restriction. If you buy a $10 coin from a dealer in Spain and the customs inspector gets an idea that it might be one of the increasing number of MOU protected countries and confiscates it, how much are you going to spend to fight for your coin? Yes, I think this will impact Moesian coins as well as Romans of all mints which have been coming from Eastern Europe since the normalization of relations with the former Communist bloc states 20 years ago. As more and more nations get added to the restricted list, it will make it more and more likely that all ancient coins will be delayed, hassled or just plain confiscated. If you must add the costs of lawyers to the cost of coins, it could destroy the hobby in this country at least as far as low value coins go. The big boys will fight for their rarities but who will bother with the little things that get tagged as illegals?
