I would appreciate thoughts on whether the attached is right or a replica/fake. I know it is difficult to give a definite answer without handling it, but maybe you can spot some obvious indicators one way or another. My concerns are firstly the "It's too good to be true" fear, but also when I found the best match in Sear - S3230 I believe - it indicates obverse Ea (head only) whereas this appears to be Eb, with the bust. Is this enough to confirm a fake? Thank you. There is no casting line around the edges. The blue flares are light from the window, nothing on the coin.
No. The coin is well documented with a laureate bust right with drapery on the far shoulder. See BMCRE 928.
That is a pretty coin, but I do not dare venture an authenticity opinion. Weight and diameter would help with evaluation. At first I thought it was a sestertius, because I recently got one like it. Not sure if this helps, but here it is, an ugly sestertius of this type, with a far-shoulder drapery. Wear has wiped out most of the trophy, unfortunately: Trajan Æ Sestertius (104-107 A.D.) Rome Mint [IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P], laureate bust right, slight drapery on far shoulder / SPQR OPTI[MO PRINCIPI], SC in ex., Dacia seated left on pile of arms; trophy before. RIC 564; Cohen 534; Sear 3196. (24.84 grams / 31 mm)
Sorry - most remiss of me to leave out the measurements. Weighs 10.45g and is about 26mm at the longest across.
Your coin (RIC II 562; BMCRE 929; Sear 3230; Woytek 245c) is most likely genuine, as it looks like an obverse die match to the specimen in the collection of Freiburg university: https://ikmk.uni-freiburg.de/object?id=ID2533
Compare to this 25.54g sestertius. I see nothing to suggest that there is anything wrong with your coin. It is always best to give a weight and any other data you have when asking about a coin. 10.45g is fine for an as.
