Log in or Sign up
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Ancient Coins
>
Mail call!
>
Reply to Thread
Message:
<p>[QUOTE="gsimonel, post: 4966489, member: 82549"]The reason your coin might seem different from your other silver coins is that this coin is not really silver. It's billon--a mix of bronze and silver. And it's Nero's fault.</p><p><br /></p><p>All through the Republican era and into the beginning of the imperial area, the purity of the silver in official Roman denarii was strictly maintained. Once Nero reduced the fineness of the silver in the denarius, he broke the taboo, and subsequent emperors began meddling with it to--in theory--increase the buying power of their own silver hoards, further enriching themselves.</p><p><br /></p><p>By the time Severus Alexander came along 200 years later, the amount of silver in a "silver" denarius had dropped to around 30%. (Ballpark. Other members of this group can give you more precise details.) It is unfortunate that we still refer to these as silver denarii, as billon denarii would be more accurate, but old habits are hard to break. </p><p><br /></p><p>Whenever someone familiar with true silver denarii gets one of these for the first time, they immediately assume that they have been ripped off. In a way they have been, but not by the seller of the coin. They were ripped off by whichever emperor issued issued the coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>Because the amount of silver is so low in these SA denarii, the weight of the coin wasn't particularly important to the issuing authority, and their weights varied widely. Furthermore, bronze is much more sensitive to acid than silver, so if your coin has spent the past 1800 years buried in acidic soil, the bronze will leach out of the coin, further reducing the weight and leaving the rough, unsettling silver surface behind.</p><p><br /></p><p>Is your coin fake? No. It is most likely genuine. Did you get cheated? Absolutely, but good luck doing anything about it. The person who cheated you has been dead for almost 1800 years.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="gsimonel, post: 4966489, member: 82549"]The reason your coin might seem different from your other silver coins is that this coin is not really silver. It's billon--a mix of bronze and silver. And it's Nero's fault. All through the Republican era and into the beginning of the imperial area, the purity of the silver in official Roman denarii was strictly maintained. Once Nero reduced the fineness of the silver in the denarius, he broke the taboo, and subsequent emperors began meddling with it to--in theory--increase the buying power of their own silver hoards, further enriching themselves. By the time Severus Alexander came along 200 years later, the amount of silver in a "silver" denarius had dropped to around 30%. (Ballpark. Other members of this group can give you more precise details.) It is unfortunate that we still refer to these as silver denarii, as billon denarii would be more accurate, but old habits are hard to break. Whenever someone familiar with true silver denarii gets one of these for the first time, they immediately assume that they have been ripped off. In a way they have been, but not by the seller of the coin. They were ripped off by whichever emperor issued issued the coin. Because the amount of silver is so low in these SA denarii, the weight of the coin wasn't particularly important to the issuing authority, and their weights varied widely. Furthermore, bronze is much more sensitive to acid than silver, so if your coin has spent the past 1800 years buried in acidic soil, the bronze will leach out of the coin, further reducing the weight and leaving the rough, unsettling silver surface behind. Is your coin fake? No. It is most likely genuine. Did you get cheated? Absolutely, but good luck doing anything about it. The person who cheated you has been dead for almost 1800 years.[/QUOTE]
Your name or email address:
Do you already have an account?
No, create an account now.
Yes, my password is:
Forgot your password?
Stay logged in
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Ancient Coins
>
Mail call!
>
Home
Home
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Activity
Recent Posts
Forums
Forums
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Posts
Competitions
Competitions
Quick Links
Competition Index
Rules, Terms & Conditions
Gallery
Gallery
Quick Links
Search Media
New Media
Showcase
Showcase
Quick Links
Search Items
Most Active Members
New Items
Directory
Directory
Quick Links
Directory Home
New Listings
Members
Members
Quick Links
Notable Members
Current Visitors
Recent Activity
New Profile Posts
Sponsors
Menu
Search
Search titles only
Posted by Member:
Separate names with a comma.
Newer Than:
Search this thread only
Search this forum only
Display results as threads
Useful Searches
Recent Posts
More...