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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 2047427, member: 19463&quot;]From my fabric page:</p><p><a href="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/fabric.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/fabric.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/fabric.html</a></p><p><img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/fabphil2.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> <img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/fabedge.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p>&quot;Another very round coin shows a different method of edge smoothing. Struck at Antioch in Syria (possibly from dies prepared at Rome??) this 30mm bronze coin of Philip II (247-248 AD) not only is perfectly round but shows a flat edge with squared corners (light line on the diagonal view). Most noticeable, certainly, is the lack of a centration dimple. The close up shows the edges of this coin (bottom) and coins produced by the same technique (moving up the pile: Gordian, Singara; Macrinus, Antioch; Philip I, Zeugma). Note that each shows file marks at a slight angle across the edge of the flan. The marks all seem to go the same direction and strike me as what would result if a right handed person were applying a file to a stack of coins held in a vise. In truth, I have no idea how these flans were prepared and the evidence presented here could probably be interpreted in other ways. Coins of this fabric are common to the Syrian and Mesopotamian cities of the 3rd century AD. Compared to the irregularly shaped sestertii often seen from Rome, the workmanship of the coins is impressive. Note that all are of low enough relief that stacking is quite possible. Just try to stack your 12 Caesars sestertii and you can appreciate why bankers must have appreciated this technology. Please don&#039;t tell me that coins with file marks on the edge are cast fakes. These coins are all quite genuine and definitely produced by striking. The same scratch evidence found on Athenian silver would be a good sign of a bad coin. The rules are different for the two issues and collectors must learn which standards apply to which coins. That is all part of the fun of being a student numismatist!&quot;[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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