Interesting, Andrew. As Steve P indicated, that's an As rather than a
Sestertius.
Weight is a helpful data point for
identification and authentication. There are many useful resources on this board that you will enjoy reading as you delve into ancients.
I am more concerned about the dealer's
identification skills than the coin's authenticity, which looks almost exactly what one would expect for this
type. Highly recognizable and a lot of key features are clear. It is frequently seen in this condition and it was a large issue under
Nero. Which is why it is puzzling to me that a "dealer" would be so far off the correct
identification. In the same degree of wear, a
Sestertius of
Nero would typically weigh 3 to nearly 4 times the
weight of an As; indeed it was worth 4
Asses. A
sestertius is also much broader.
For the same overall condition,
Nero Sestertii would typically be priced considerably more than an As. The big coin made it easier to fit more complex designs. So that's another point a dealer should have spotted.
Don't name the dealer or
price per Forum rules, but as
Forum says, "know the dealer or know the coin". Check out
wildwinds for many great examples.
I will post a
side by
side later today.
