My First Roman Republican Coin

Well, I hope this experience hasn't put you off Roman Republicans. They are a fascinating series to collect. I too was recently burned by an eBay RR fake - one I should've known better about: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/sextus-pompeius-faustulus-denarius-too-heavy-to-be-true.304450/

Live and learn. I did get a refund, but had to do it through eBay - despite offering returns, the seller never responded. Boooo! Hissss!

But I still like the RR and I still like eBay for the bargains, despite the risks. Some of the offerings are pretty iffy, but the more you look, the more you'll learn. And the people here at Coin Talk are very helpful.

Along these lines, after 30 years of hankerin' for one, I just got my first Mark Antony legionary denarius a Legion VII (issued prior to the Battle of Actium at the butt-end of the Republic). It is very worn, but I paid less than $20 for it (eBay) and I am delighted with it (and I am really hoping nobody here tells me it's a fake ). CT member Bing has been assembling an impressive collection of these, which has been fun to watch - you might check out his posts.

 

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It looks authentic to me! I paid substantially more more mine:

 

If he was truly sorry he would not of tried to sell more. Stay away

 

The person who should drop Ancient coins is your seller. I suppose there is one chance in a million that he has been duped into purchasing a bunch of fake ancients and really does not know any more about the subject than you do but

I am 100% with kkathyl0 on this one. Stay away. It sounds like he will be selling these to someone else soon. Don't let it be anyone you know.

 

Many of the fakes he's sold are of pretty laughable style that should not escape the basic due diligence that we expect a dealer to go through before listing a coin for sale. Even if these were just a "couple mistakes"(which I doubt), these are mistakes that show carelessness and a lack of experience and the fact that he's been doing this for a year shows an inability to learn from mistakes, all of which absolutely qualify him for the label of "fake seller" and at this point are basically unforgivable.

 

I wouldn't get out of them all together. Just make sure you find a reputable dealer like others have said. You can ask around CT and they can point you in the right direction.

 

Thank you for the vote of authenticity, Bing. Yours might've cost more, but it sure looks a lot better than mine!

 

It did cost a penny or two more, but you got a great deal. As you know, the MA legionary denarii is my current sub-collection focus, and few can be had for the price you paid. Congrats.

 

Unfortunately, this coin has a suspicious appearance. It does not look as if it was struck, but rather reproduced from a mould (itself copying an original denarius). The little dots on he reverse are confirming this case. Moreover, crystallized coins normally show a dense network of lines...To buy coins safely, as a beginner, only buy from a well established, reputable dealer, other you are embarking in an adventurous experience...You will find below an example of a fake showing a similar suspicious appearance.

 

Unfortunately, they all show the same sad characteristics ( they would be unsaleable to an experienced collector or professional dealer.

 

It's okay, @old49er ! You'll learn as you go along! The rewards—not necessarily monetary—are worth the effort! Check your CT inbox!

Edit added: Sorry!—I didn't mean to sound like I was an expert—I'm not even close!!
We'll learn as we go along!

 

Keep collecting ancients, just use vcoins or other more established dealers while you start out. You have the right attitude, there is a learning curve and you are on your way up it quickly. Once you spend a little more time looking through coins, things like style and fabric start to become second nature. Coins like your first RR begin to just have a problem look. It won't take long to develop a sense of it if you keep looking at ancients.