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Author Topic: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?  (Read 1844 times)

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Offline Byzantofil

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A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« on: August 10, 2020, 06:03:10 pm »
A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?

I met a very strange specimen recently.
This is either a numismatic fantasy either a truly bizarre 5th century imitative coin.
The blank for this coin was roughly cut from a thick (about 2.5 mm) rectangular copper bar. On this square (17x17 mm.) by the pair of dies (the specimen is not cast, but it is precisely minted!), a portrait of a certain emperor was mint  in profile on one side, and on the other side – standing Victory holding a cross (an imitation of the 5th century solidus reverse).
The surface of the coin was silver plated, but copper shines through on the side faces.
I would like to hear your opinion. For a tourist copy, the coin looks too defiantly rough. And the fantasy coins are also usually round in shape. A very strange specimen. The obverse retains a partially chased luster. Traces of oxides are visible in its surface, but the silver layer still holds well.

Offline Byzantofil

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Re: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2020, 06:04:13 pm »
2

Offline Byzantofil

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Re: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2020, 06:05:37 pm »
3

Offline Byzantofil

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Re: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2020, 06:06:15 pm »
4

Offline Byzantofil

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Re: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2020, 06:07:07 pm »
5

Offline Simon

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Re: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2020, 06:13:27 pm »
Interesting coin , the reverse looks modern to me. The obverse is attractive but not right either.
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=5633 My main collection of Tetartera. Post reform coinage.

Offline Pekka K

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Re: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2020, 02:00:49 am »

Weight? My quess 4.5 gr.

Pekka K

Offline Byzantofil

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Re: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« Reply #7 on: August 11, 2020, 08:37:39 am »
Weight about 5.8 gr., there's no any solidus or siliqua weight standard at all

Offline Byzantofil

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Re: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2020, 08:42:15 am »
Quote
the reverse looks modern to me.

For me too.
But it is not clear to me — if this is a modern fake, then why is it done so strangely and crudely? ???

Offline Byzantofil

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Re: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2020, 04:27:41 pm »
By the way, die axis is 180"

Offline *Alex

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Re: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2020, 06:09:47 pm »
Could they be some sort of coin weight? Base metal weights, often stamped with an image of the ruler or of the devices on the precious metal coins they were designed to weigh, were commonly used in medieval times and later.

Alex

Offline curtislclay

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Re: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« Reply #11 on: August 12, 2020, 12:29:58 pm »
I have little knowledge of late Roman, but obv. legend beginning AE and VICTORI - [A] rev. type suggest Aelia Zenonis, Sear (1988) 4405 (a solidus).
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Offline Byzantofil

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Re: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« Reply #12 on: August 12, 2020, 07:02:43 pm »
Thank you! I am not an expert in the late roman /very early Byzantine coins, but I already noticed the something strange in the portrait and the legend, beginning as AE......
It turns out that this is a really FEMALE portrait and a typical beginning of the legend AELIA... Something is starting to clear up!

Offline Ginolerhino

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Re: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« Reply #13 on: August 13, 2020, 04:57:40 am »
I have little knowledge of late Roman, but obv. legend beginning AE and VICTORI - [A] rev. type suggest Aelia Zenonis, Sear (1988) 4405 (a solidus).
Or Aelia Verina? it seems the obv. legend ends with [...]NAAVG

Offline Pekka K

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Re: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« Reply #14 on: August 13, 2020, 05:26:29 am »

This imitation looks much like OP item:

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=4439286

Pekka K

Offline Byzantofil

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Re: A modern fantasy coin or an imitation of the 5th century?
« Reply #15 on: August 13, 2020, 10:23:42 am »
Thanks to your help, we managed to partially find out what this thing is (Fig. 3).
As it turned out, not so long ago two lead "coins" were put up for sale. According to legend, these items imitate the solidus of the Empress Verina, the wife of the Emperor Basiliscus. Both "coins" are struck from the same pair of stamps, the same as in the case of the copper version. The two “coins” differ in wear and tear and have a typical “Syrian” thin layer of dust on the patina.
In general, these things are very suspicious, stylistically not similar to the original solidus. Therefore, one lead "coin" (Fig. 2) remained unsold, although it was exhibited twice at different respected Internet auctions. The second, more worn out (Fig. 1), sold for £ 65. It is difficult to say anything concrete for me finally. Indeed, either there was some kind of artisanal emission in different metals, or it is a modern, impudent in its enchanting fake.

 

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