Oops... Not what I was intending to buy...

So TimeLine auctions had a coin auction today, and they had a few coins I was going to try to get (mainly a large lot of medievals that was going to be for resale). While waiting for my main lot, I noticed a lot of sestercies going for what I thought were really cheap. The morning had been slow and several good deals were had, so I thought the same thing was happening. I bid on several and won a couple. Then I noticed that these were all described as antique fakes from 1800's or before. Oops...



I don't know what I am going to do with them (keep, sell, etc.). After doing some cursory research, I still have no idea what I bought. Could you guys give some information (when were they made, by whom, etc.)? In any case, they will be quite a learning experience.

But as a consolation, I got this hemidrachm for really cheap.

 

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They are called Paduans and they have their enthusiasts. You can admire them for their artistry, for their place in numismatic history, or find a ready market to sell them.

 

Wow! That consolation is amazing, who was the ruler and when was it made? Also if you don't mind saying how much did you pay?


Thanks,
Jacob

 

You better check this out: Not sure about the hemi-just beware of cheap ones!-Grams are important if it weighs out a few tenths more it could be OK)(from Forum fakes-Ilya Popolov)Thrace, Cherronesos; Circa 350-300 b.C.
AR Hemidrachm, 2.2 g.
Forepart of lion right, head reverted. / Quadripartite incuse square; lizard in one quadrant, pellet and monogram YE in opposite quadrant.
McClean 4117-4118

This is the most commonly seen modern forgery of a Cherronesos hemidrachm, sold as authentic repeatedly for years by the same counterfeit scammer(s) on eBay. The fakes of this type always copies the same Cherronesos variety, coming from the same set of dies, and when the weight is given it's between 2.1g and 2.4g. The seller operates out of Germany and Las Vegas using different eBay I.D.s. He appears to be from Bulgaria, and these appear from their styling to be originally engraved, pressed Bulgarian School forgeries. This scammer has operated on eBay openly for eight years, selling hundreds of fakes of ancient coins and antiquities, the same ones over and over, to many thousands of people. One of his eBay I.D.s, victoriantiquities, was canceled by eBay in Nov. 2007 but only after more than 2,400 transactions.

Photo and text courtesy of Counterfeit Coins. I thank the site admin for allowing me to post his coins on this board.
counterfeitcoins.reidgold.comTaras

 

Sad, but is truth. Here is a link JA shared with me.
http://rg.ancients.info/lion/cherronesos.html

I hope it's real though.
I don't have the lizard but I do have a cool pentagram

 

I forgot to mention, that I got blown out of the water on my main target.

I don't doubt the authenticity of the coin. The auction house guarantees its authenticity if we are wrong.

And I paid around $40 all things considered. Not "cheap" per se, but I am happy with the price.

 

@TypeCoin971793 for $40 (+ fees I assume)
Is a pretty good deal. I think I paid around $60 for mine.

 

[edit - now irrelevant!]

 

OPPS only accounts when you miss the bowel with poor aim........

 

It's scary how good the counterfeits can be.

I have questions about my own.



Erin

 

Thank you for the link. That was EXACTLY what I was looking for!

Seems I did okay. This one sold for more than double what I paid for mine.

https://greek.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=206020

 

I see nothing wrong with yours, but what do I know about any of these things? Apparently not much.

 

I think those paudans are pretty dang cool, they are actually on my to get list. If the price was descent that was still a nice score @TypeCoin971793 !

 

The last Paduan’s I recall being offered for sale were displayed in the window of a coin shop on one of the side streets adjacent to the British Museum - about thirty years ago. I went in the shop and asked to examine them in hand. I thought they were very handsome and afterward I regretted not buying them.

 

You need to be careful with Paduans as well. Original struck fakes from Renaissance days sell well and bring good prices but they are very rare. They were later reproduced by casting making fakes of fakes and even multiple generations of casts losing detail every time. The worst ones are not at all valuable. I'm no expert but would say the Nero is better than the Galba but neither are originals. The one in the link you posted is flagged as a 'later cast' and should not have sold so high IMO.

My Septimius Severus example is also a later cast and probably worth closer to $50 while a struck original might be $5000. That does not mean you won't find someone who knows less than you do and will buy them as something they are not.


There is an online book on them.
https://archive.org/details/medalsbygiovanni00lawriala

 

Excuse the poor quick take amateur images here. Bought this one maybe ten or so more years ago from an American dealer store. This coin even maybe because the off flan obverse, the deep alternate relief in the incuse segments- screams, softly however, I am real ancient Greek silver!. I know for sure because I purchased a fake a couple years ago from a well known fake ebay dealer(well known to the folks here on CT)(very cheap!) before I knew about the jungle of ebay fakeness and I had the real thing to compare the one here and I learned a big lesson. So obvious the real next to the fake in this instance anyway.Did get the cost and even shipping back but it took some time and effort.

 

I figured that would be the case, as I read that the originals were struck while many I see are cast. Would there be the tell-tale sign of a casting seam on the edge?

Given the Nero's superior level of detail and sharpness, do you think it is likely an early reproduction of a Paduan, assuming it is?

 

What is a decent price in your opinion?

 

Not really familiar with Paduaner myself, but a check in acsearch shows all Nero DECVRSIO Paduans listed show a mounted soldier behind the emperor, none with an attendant on foot before him.

Here is an example:





Leave it up to you to decide what you can deduce from this.

 

I had a similar question about the reverse. I have no clue.