HI, I came across this pretty coin while looking through a box of estate items from a retired admiral. I know nothing of coins and have tried to find info on what this is and if its authentic. Its a gold/silver tone (was black but a polished just the top with silver polish...was that bad of me?) and measures approx 1.2-.3" across. Any help would be very greatly appreciated! Thanks! Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us
If the coin were genuine, your polish job would have reduced the value a great deal. Since it is not genuine, no harm was done.
The coin is trying to be something quite special: Sicily, Siculo-Punic AR Tetradrachm. Circa 320-300 BC. Wreathed head of Arethusa left four dolphins swimming around / Horse head left, palm behind; Punic legend below. First, the original is silver, not copper. I do not claim to be an expert in these but the few I have seen do not have the Greek city name Syracuse behing the head suggesting to me that the maker parobably used this master for fakes of that city with the chariot reverse as well. The style of the diework is nice but just not right. In particular the horse is usually larger and wilder looking. The originals were struck from dies on flans not quite as large as yours so one having a full circle of dots around the horse is quite scarce. While yours is not bad when it comes to signs of being cast in a mold rather than struck from dies and having gained the surface irregularities through corrosion, I still believe it is a cast. I wonder if the edge might show either a joning seam or file marks where one was removed. In all honesty, this is a pretty good looking example of a souvenier piece quite likely made 50-100 years ago for sale to a higher grade tourist in Sicily. It is the sort of thing one might expect an WWII admiral to have picked up when in the Mediterranian. It's value is as a token and a fantasy piece combining ideas from two different Sicilian coins but however good looking, and well 'aged', it is still a couple thousand years newer than the originals. Compare http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?search=similar%3A168921&view_mode=1#0
Thanks! THANKS for all the great info...it would have been something if it was real right!! Have a great night.
