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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Al Kowsky, post: 7622175, member: 97383&quot;]Shogun, In the past there was much confusion as to what was billon or silver <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie5" alt=":confused:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. Today any silver alloy less than 50% is considered billon. Most of the major auction houses have labeled billon coins as silver if they look like silver, regardless of of the silver content, because it makes them more salable <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie85" alt=":smuggrin:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. On the other hand <b>NGC </b>has labeled many silver coins as billon <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie12" alt="o_O" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />! The Tet pictured below was labeled &quot;billon&quot; by <b>NGC </b>despite having a silver content of 60%.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1311652[/ATTACH] </p><p><b>Antioch-Syria, Caracalla AD 198-217 (struck AD 205-207, under Septimius Severus). AR Tetradrachm: 14.31 gm, 27 mm, 11 h. McAlee 667. <i>Ex Michel Prieur Collection. </i></b></p><p><br /></p><p>The later &quot;War Issues&quot; by Caracalla were debased to 35% silver &amp; are billon, like the coin pictured below. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1311653[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>I must correct an error in my previous post on this thread; the silver content on Macrinus Tets is <b>29% </b>silver &amp; not less than <b>20% </b>silver. <b>Duh</b>. Pictured below is another Macrinus Tet.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1311656[/ATTACH] </p><p><b>Emesa-Syria, Macrnus AD 217-218, Billon Tetradrachm: 11.67 gm, 25 mm, 1 h. Reverse: Bust of Shamash below eagle. Prieur 972. </b>This coin was labeled silver by <b>Roma Numismatics <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie15" alt=":arghh:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></b>.</p><p><br /></p><p>The two Tets pictured below of Septimius Severus were mistakenly labeled by <b>NGC </b>as <b>billon</b>, in fact they are <b>silver</b> (60% silver).</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1311658[/ATTACH] </p><p>[ATTACH=full]1311659[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Another important reference book for collectors of Syro-Phoenician Tets is the late Michel Prieur&#039;s landmark book.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1311660[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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