this cast or corrosion? https://www.ebay.com/itm/ROME-REPUB...rentrq:ebea9c9b1660a99b8943c8e6fffa58fc|iid:1
My very simple rule of thumb is that if I have even an inkling of doubt it's a pass. Here is a quite worn one out of the inventory of Marc Breitsprecher : Compare and contrast to the one you are inquiring about: Personally, I don't like it.
I saw that one, and I agree with the others - it does not look official to me. Here is mine - bought in 1992, it is one of my first ancients: That being said, I have bought from that seller, who lists enormous numbers of Roman imperial denarii, mostly Trajan-Commodus, with a few falling outside that. Very little detail is provided, and the descriptions (title only) are often wrong (confusing Marcus Aurelius with Commodus is common). The coins I have bought have appeared to be genuine to me, good weight, etc. I've wondered where these all come from, and suspect they are from the Balkans, where, so I have read, enormous numbers of Roman silver coins from that era are being discovered in hoards. There is some speculation (again, I got this from poking around online) that Roman silver of that era was exported during the Severan era as a kind of trade coinage. Just wildly guessing, but it is possible if this were the case, forgeries or "unofficial" copies of Republican coins wound up in some of these hoards. The OP is too weird and off to look like the typical modern forgery. It almost looks Danubian Celt or some such. But again, just guessing here. Here is one I bought recently from this seller - I really wanted that Temple of Antoninus & Faustina reverse - Faustina I Denarius (c. 146-161 A.D.) Rome Mint DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust rt. / AED DIV FAVSTINAE, temple of Diva Faustina: railing & statues in front, pediment with1 standing, 2 reclining figs. quadriga & figures as acroteria. RIC 343; BMCRE 339-343 (2.81 grams / 16 mm)