Hi Everyone, Recently picked this Solidus up in a collection, I was a little bit unsure of authenticity as I'm not as familiar with Byzantine coinage. The big red flag for me was the weight, 3.92g, but as far as I know, there could be many other issues. If possible, could anyone weigh in on thoughts towards authenticity? Thanks in advance!
It does have an odd look to it, maybe it's the color or the slightly off/blocked strike. They probably had to pump a lot of these out. It's a little light too, but it has that bite missing. I'd probably buy it, but then again wait for another opinion... RIC X 293; Depeyrot 84/1
I have to say I don’t like the look of this coin. It looks flat and mushy, and I’m missing a lot of the details; on the cuirass for example. Compare with this Theodosius II:
Obone, Unless you got the coin for melt value try & get your money back . The last Theodosius II solidus I had is pictured below.
The style is off, and with the weight being off by about 0.5g, I would assure that it's not official. I've never seen a Vandalic-era imitation before, and I don't even know if they exist, but this sure looks like one. Do you think it's possible?
After doing more research, I believe this is a Germanic imitation, the style is more accurate, and the weight is slightly less. The legend is accurate with an imitation too I believe
Obone, If you're confident this coin is a Germanic imitation why not send it to NGC for verification ? It would be a small investment for a possible big gain . Pictured below is a Germanic imitation of a solidus of Theodosius II sold by CNG for $2,750.00. UNCERTAIN GERMANIC TRIBES, Pseudo-Imperial coinage imitating Roman emperor Theodosius II, mid to late 5th century AD. AV Solidus: 4.50 gm, 20 mm, 7 h. CNG inventory #885434. The coin pictured below is a Germanic imitation of a solidus of Theodosius I, sold at CNG 417, lot 506, for $1,092.50. Uncertain Germanic Tribes, Pseudo-Imperial coinage of Theodosius I, AV Solidus: 4.65 gm, 21 mm, 6 h. Imitating a Milan mint issue. The coin pictured below is an earlier Germanic imitation of a Zeno solidus I had NGC slab for me.