Tourist piece or real?

Hello,

This should be a Gordian coin but I doubt it is genuine.
Its 26mm and 14gr
I would appreciate your views.
Thanks.

 

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Is that a faint seam I see on the last picture? Middle left around the edge?

 

Bronze flans were sometimes cast in two part molds so a seam doesn't always condemn a coin. Flans were also sometimes trimmed or modified in ways which leave file marks, sharply angled edges (instead of gentle curves), or a beveled appearance.

I see nothing that makes me think this coin is anything but an ancient issue of Gordian III, struck in Odessus (edited: I'll have to double-check the city).

Edited again: yes, Odessus.

 

@TIF iif real it should be from Odesa Mint.
The seam is not really visible. I noticed it on the photo as well.

 

Agree

 

Congrats for this nice coin with green patina.

 

Pretty cool coin with Serapis and I'm pretty sure it's authentic.

 

Thanks!
It is also my first coin with two heads on obverse.

 

I thought everyone would spot this easily, but maybe not. Its a cast fake. The patina seems either chemically induced or maybe even painted on. The style is wrong (I've never seen Serapis rendered this way), there are sharp seams all over (including the edge). The details are classically mushy as are most crude casts. The lettering is poorly done.

 

I don't know if this is real or fake but I can not accept the comments that it must be a cast fake with bad style and poor legends. The coin claims to be from Odessos. That city had very different style than the other cities that used the twin portrait style. Cast fakes copy the style of the coin used for a master so saying the style is wrong means that you believe the thing is a fake cast from another fake. Searching on acsearch turns up quite a few coins that are every bit as poor style as this one.
https://www.acsearch.info/search.ht...s=1&thesaurus=1&order=0&currency=usd&company=
The same city has some good work as well. My only coin of the city is Septimius and well executed.

After looking at those coins I see nothing obvious here that makes me condemn the coin. Equally, I would not say I believe in it and don't see any reason for me to venture a guess based on this one photo. I'd not be surprised if it is genuine. Would I buy it? No. Who here is an expert in this city? Who has a Gordian from here?

 

That's exactly what I am saying, and it is exactly how a lot of cast fakes are produced. The issues of Odessos with Serapis are unusual in the series as there seems to be a single celator working at this mint producing portraits which are elongated, but this one is beyond the scope of those known. So, yes, the style is wrong, but the lettering is also wrong, being unusually thick, crude and appear filled in (a very common indicator of being cast). Also note that the altar is so poorly rendered it appears almost as a letter. Below is how the reverse should appear:

 

Here are some dual-portrait Gordian III coins from Odessos from my collection:

 

Faucet like edge and somewhat naive reverse made me doubt it.
I bought it wrapped in carton holder and opened it when I got home.
On the other hand, it is not an expensive coin, so why make a fake?

 

Looks good to me. Like @dougsmit, I think it's difficult to jump to conclusions on what a provincial should look like when their styles, legends, and control marks are all over the place. I also agree with you in the argument of "why make a fake?"

Edit: here's an obverse/reverse die match to your example. I think we're venturing into the 99.9% genuine territory.

Gordian III AE Pentassarion. Thrace, Odessos Mint 238-244 AD. Obverse: Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Gordian right, vis-à-vis draped bust of Serapis left. Reverse: Homonoia standing left, holding patera and cornucopia. References: AMNG I 2355; Varbanov 4501. Size: 26mm, 11.43g

Currently for sale here

Note the dimples are in separate areas of the flan; most probably negating the "They're both cast fakes from the same die" argument that's probably incoming.

 

I have a Vespasian dupondius with a similar edge and so has Eduard (second pic)
both are from the Lugdunum mint:

 

Nice Vespasians!

 

Why would anyone fake a coin of modest value?

 

In some countries of the world, even making few $ fake coins will ensure a nice profit for the forger. They often start with cheap fakes and then upgrade as they get better in their “art”. By the way, what I don’t like about the coin discussed here is the patina. The colour and toning reminds me of test I have done with JAX green patina on old scap coins of mine...

 

I recently posted a thread about a fake 1958 wheat cent. Nothing is above being faked.

 

I am a bit confused - if it is a cast fake, wouldn't the style be correct? Unless it is a fake cast off another fake, I would think casts would have the correct style going for them - the mushiness, seams etc. being the give away.

As I understand it:

Cast Fake: correct style, but mushy details and a seam (or evidence of seam removal).

Struck Fake: Sharp details, but wrong style (depending on the skill of the counterfeiter). The edge would be okay, although I believe some modern struck fakes use machinery that leave a too-good-to-be-true edge.

As for the OP, it looked good to me, but I am new to this sort of thing. On the other hand, I would tend to agree with Ken's assessment of the patina - it looks funny to me (possibly even painted, as Ken suggests).