Seeking assistance of wiser minds - is this CIMMERIAN BOSPOROS coin authentic?

[Andrew B3]

Warm greetings to this very useful forum.

I am new to this fine site and was seeking the opinions of more knowledgeable minds regarding the authenticity of a coin I purchased from a Russian seller.  A coin collector acquaintance has put a strong seed of doubt in my mind and I was hoping someone would be kind enough to offer a second or third opinion.

Here is the information regarding the coin:

CIMMERIAN BOSPOROS, Pantikapaion. Circa 340-325 BC.
AE 27 mm, 14.07 g.

Head of wreathed and bearded Pan (Satyr) left /
ПАNTI, Bow and arrow.

MacDonald 59; Anokhin 1022; HGC 7, 106.
VF

The first two photos are of the uncleaned coin, which was alleged to have originated from a large hoard that the individual purchased and then mechanically cleaned (his reasoning for the seam on the edge in the last photo).

Any and all assistance would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you for taking the time to look.

[okidoki]

this coin does not look ancient to my eyes

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=312012

[Andrew B3]

Thank you, Eric.  I appreciate you taking a look and responding. 

Is there anything more specific to your trained eye that sticks out?  The seller is claiming the differences in appearance are due to the mechanical cleaning process, so I'm hoping to have something a little more concrete to back up my concerns.

[okidoki]

the rim is like a Cast.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/

scroll below and find evidence of fakes 

[archivum]

The patina and spot-corrosion also look pretty Neo to me; even badly cleaned coins usually hold a bit more of their texture and character.

[Andrew B3]

Thank you both for your insight and expertise.  I've had many of the same misgivings since the coin arrived, but not the expertise in ancient coins to back it up.  Despite my background in archaeology, I worked almost exclusively in the New World, so coins were not part of my training.

Again, thank you very much for taking the time to assist me.  I sincerely appreciate it.

[djmacdo]

The style is fine, but edge is damning.  I fear it is a modern cast of a genuine coin.

[Vlad]

Dear Members,

before condemning an unusual ancient coin, it is worth doing some research. Bosporan numismatics have some peculiarities, maybe due to the fact that this state was on the edge of the Greek world. Among the peculiarities - extensive use of CAST flans for certain bronze types. With this coin it is exactly the case.

There is an excellent reference resource for Bosporan numismatics, unfortunately it is in Russian only for the moment. Here is the entry for this type, there are more than 300 examples, so you may judge for yourselves

https://bosporan-kingdom.com/110-2017/

This coin IS genuine.

[archivum]

For me the main problem is not the cast seam but the surface / corrosion pattern.

[djmacdo]

I am familiar with Bosporan coins and have a fairly sizable collection including multiple specimens of the issue under question.  The edge on authentic specimens show a dull line around the periphery of the coin, the result of the use of a two-part mold to produce the flan before striking, but none of the specimens you illustrate, none of the ten in my collection, and non of the many I have examined over the years show the thin flange of bronze that on the questioned specimen has been folded up toward the obverse.  I admit it is often not possible to give a definitive answer from a photograph, but I find that feature damning and reinforced by others' observations about the surfaces.  We may be destined to disagree about this coin,

[Vlad]

well, here are some examples of same-type coins with similar features...

https://bosporan-kingdom.com/110-2017/201.html
https://bosporan-kingdom.com/110-2017/188.html
https://bosporan-kingdom.com/110-2017/151.html
https://bosporan-kingdom.com/110-2017/37.html
https://bosporan-kingdom.com/110-2017/122.html


sapienti sat

[okidoki]

the edge on 2e picture made it fake to me combined with picture 3

best

eric

[Andrew B3]

My sincerest appreciation to everyone that has given their time to examine the evidence and offer their insight and opinions.  I'm grateful to you all for your help.

The seller requested that I post more photographs here to see if it changes anyone's assessment.  It should be noted that he is the one who suggested I post on this site for expert opinions and that he is monitoring this exchange.  He is out of Russia, so it is possible that the person who has presented the only opinion in support of this coin's authenticity is one and the same (I can't be certain nor am I making accusations, but just noting the possibility).

Here are alternate views of the coin in question.

[Andrew B3]

And one final one picture to include.  I hope the pictures help in some way.

Once again, thank you so much to those of you who have provided assistance.  I'm very impressed with the kindness and willingness to help I've seen demonstrated in this forum.

Kindest regards!

[archivum]

Back to the matter of surface / corrosion -- the coin has very nearly no patina at all, which, yes, it could have lost on account of harsh cleaning. But in view of the sharpness of extant detail, why would anyone with any knowledge of coins want to clean this one harshly in the first place? The loss / lack of original patina makes it almost impossibly risky to credit the coin as authentic; it might not be out of the question, but why take the risk?

[djmacdo]

The first of pictures that Vlad posted does show a somewhat similar edge, though the fold over is no where near as severe as on the reverse of the questioned coin.  Vlad's other pictures seem to me much less relevant.  Still, it is enough for me to be much less certain about my previous felling that the coin is false, but I am still not convinced it is authentic.  The best I can say from my perspective is that the reverse edge is weird in my experience and that creates doubt in my mind about the coin.  Perhaps this coin was originally heavy encrusted and the cleaning has both altered the surface and emphasized the oddness of the reverse edge.

[Joe Sermarini]

It's very difficult and very often impossible to determine with any confidence that a coin is authentic from a photo. It is even more difficult than usual for this type.

[Andrew B3]

Once again, I sincerely appreciate all the time, effort, and assistance each of the participants have provided me in addressing this issue of authenticity.  There seems to be considerable doubt that is warranted and as such I can't retain this coin.

Thank you all for your help.  You're a fine community.

Kindest regards!

[Pavel F]

This is a genuine original coin, the workpiece poured from two halves, on most of these coins it is. Corroded there is a bronze disease copper chloride is present tried to remove this tool corrosion