Ptolemy I Tet - Real or Fake?

My father has had this coin for probably 30-35 years (maybe more). The story goes, he received it from his aunt who received it from a Greek sailor. Why she was hanging around Greek sailors, I have no idea ;-)

I don't have it in hand, however, I did take these pictures a few years ago and never got around to authenticating it.

Based on the pics, would anyone have opinions on if it's real or not?

He's got no way to weigh it and I've asked him to take a pic of the edge.

Thanks in advance

 

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Looks OK, but don't hold me to it. Many fakes are well done.

 

It's not possible to definitively determine authenticity based on images (and without weight and diameter) unless a cast fake match is seen. That said, it looks okay to me (<-- not an expert ). The style is correct. The line around the edge is probably just shadows and reflection, not a casting seam. The device-field junctions do not look soapy. I don't see casting pearls. The wear looks believable. I don't see any matches in databases of forgeries.

I vote authentic

 

Thanks guys, I wanted to get a quick read before I spend further time to authenticate it. My parents live in Florida and need EXPLICIT instructions on how to do anything with technology.

I'll probably wait until I visit them. Maybe it will take a trip home with me

 

That's an interesting coin - I believe it to be authentic as well. Nothing jumps out at me that suggests it is a cast forgery.

 

Only thing I ever got from Greek sailors was.... well, that's a different story....

 

Florida is a big place but the easy answer would have been to take it to the large FUN coin show last week in Orlando and show it to dealers who have that sort of thing in stock. They might offer to buy it or laugh. Either way, you have your answer. Next big show is January. If you decide to take that route, contact us next December for suggestions of specific dealers to ask.
http://www.funtopics.com/fun-convention.html

 

looks authentic to me..but i'm on the bus with all the other peeps.

 

Ditto!

 

Thanks Doug, that’s a great idea. We will likely visit in January, seems like I’ll have to plan it around FUN.

 

I think its a well circulated authentic tet, here's the full description:

 

I second what everyone has already said. One thing though, I would remind your family not clean it or buff it in any way.
I had a friend who wanted to get some inherited coins appraised. She shined up all the silver coins before having them checked out. I wish I had warned her but it didnt cross my mind at the time.

 

I vote authentic. You should be proud. It's very rare that someone comes into this forum, with a story like yours, and posts an authentic coin; especially given the type. They're not seen very often on this forum.

 

My father can’t find the coin. “It was sitting on a shelf”

Facepalm.

 

O...bummer!.. well, maybe it'll resurface...it prolly in a nook or crany somewhere..

 

I'm sure it was overlooked. They'll find it.

 

You need to measure weight and diameter before realling getting a good examination

Some Modern pressed fakes can be extremely difficult to detect

Of course if it is indeed 35 years old, the chances of it being fake are slim.Would have been too hard to fool back then

 

How have forgers changed their methods since 1983?

 

I agree on that and that is why pedigree is very important to me well pedigreed coin is like a hoard coin and I never let them be missed. I have some pedigree to 1800s and early 1900s. Specially the case for chinese cast coin (have been fakes extensively after 1980s as factories in china do that) and I got a collection of chinese ancient coin with pedigree of 1940s which made me much at ease to trust them than some random chinese ancient coin on ebay or VCoins.

 

derkerlegand. Other than a Greek coin, were you expecting anything else from the sailors ? - Hadn't Ptolemy I been a general with Alexander the Great ?