Reply to Thread

Message:: [QUOTE="GinoLR, post: 8110171, member: 128351"]I don't know if there is a method for authenticating ancient coins. If there was, it would be easier to hire coin-experts. Just 2 months training with the method and it's OK ! Experienced collectors, dealers, scholars, archaeologists can detect fakes. For common "tourist fakes" it is easy. For sophisticated fakes, especially in gold and silver, it is much more difficult and uncertain. Sometimes you cannot be 100% sure it is a fake. Some serious experts will tell : fake ! while some other not less serious ones will tell : authentic. I have seen this. A friend of mine used to say : There are no authentic coins, there are only well-made fakes. Unless you have unearthed them yourself in an archaeological dig, you can never be sure! And be careful, a prank is always a possibility (I have witnessed this). A good method for gold is analysing the metal : Gold is always mixed with other metals in small proportions, and the exact composition of the alloy is characteristic of provenance. If your Greek gold stater includes even a very small proportion of another metal which is typical of South American gold, it's a fake, you can tell 100% sure! But such an analysis is not for the average collector <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]