My first Ancient Greek coin... it's a dud

[Sap]

I purchased this coin from a local coin auction house back in 1998.  The lot's description was "Small Greek fractional coin, silver, Obv Janus, Rev. Goat". It's pretty small (12mm diam.) and weighs about 2 grams. It was the first ancient Greek coin I'd ever purchased, and I was looking forward to having a go at identifying it. It cost me, including 10% commission, an entire AU$27.50 (which should have started to raise red flags - no-one else bid on it).

After a month's worth of lunch hours trawling through the local University's volumes of the BMC catalogue of Greek, I knew a lot more about ancient Greek coins - but I was still clueless about this one. I put it in the "mystery file".

A couple of years ago, I showed it to a fellow-member of my coin club (and one of the few really knowledgable ancients collectors around here) who, after some consideration and consultation, concluded it was fake.

It's not worth it to try to "get my money back", though the auctioneer is "one of the good guys" and would probably do so without too much fuss - I consider the lessons learned to be well worth the modest price. So I only have three questions left regarding this coin:

1. What, exactly, is it supposed to be a fake of? I know that Tenedos issued coins with a very similar style of janiform head (male/female), and goats are a common theme on the coins of Ainos, but I've never found anywhere that combines them. Or is it merely a complete fantasy, with designs that never appeared together on any genuine ancient?

2. What, in your opinion, are the most obvious indications are that it's a fake? The unrealistic pattern of "tarnish"? The complete lack of inscriptions or lettering of any kind? The sharp edge around the rim of the obverse (which may not turn up too well in the scans)? Or just something else about the style or fabric that screams "wrong, wrong, wrong!"?

3. Where would such a coin orginate, and/or has anyone seen coins like these around before? My best guess is a "tourist copy", but the workmanship looks much finer than what you normally see on those. It appears to be die-struck. Perhaps it's just the product of a "hobbyist" die-cutter, making fake ancient-looking coins "because he can".

[tacrolimus]

I can't tell whether your coin is genuine or not, but this doesn't seem to be the only specimen known. Here is a second one (unfortunately unattributed):

http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=45971&AucID=50&Lot=1360



As a very personal observation, the style of the janiform head resembles some uncertain cilician issues (Levante 201-203).

Luigi

[CANTANATRIX]

If the coin is very obscure I would consider it a lot less likely for it to have been cast.

Your coin could well be genuine.

It's details aren't the sharpest in the world but it compares favourably to the coinarchives example I feel.

[featherz]

If it makes you feel any better one of the 'coolest' greeks I bought years back was also fake and was also an 'unknown' type. And it was from a reasonably big dealer - but had I known better when I was a noob I would have instantly known it was fake.

 Oddly enough others were always asking to buy it from me and the dealer insisted it was not fake (this is an HONEST dealer who really did believe it to be real) but once David Sear looked at it and told me what to look for I knew it was a VERY obvious fake. The coin was too light, did not match the issues for that city and had bumps all over the rim (sand cast). (The dealer refunded my costs, the costs of authentication and let me keep the coin after he inspected it again and realized it was no good).


I am not familiar with your coin, however - what signs made your coin club member state that it was a fake? Since it is so small was it inspected under magnification?

[Rupert]

The Coinarchives coin (from Gorny&Mosch) was not sold at a 150€ estimate. This can mean that a) nobody wanted it, or b) it was withdrawn. Does anybody know which was the case?

Rupert

[Sap]

I am not familiar with your coin, however - what signs made your coin club member state that it was a fake? Since it is so small was it inspected under magnification?

I think it was pretty much what I listed in my OP - the peculiar toning and the sharp edge are what persuades me to agree with him. He did see the coin itself, plus a blown-up scan much like (though not the same scan as) the one I posted here.

I did mention the sharp edge, but the coin is so tiny, I'm having trouble with my lousy camera getting a good pic that shows it. I've certainly never seen any other genuine ancient silver with a feature like this. It would have to have been (a) in darn close to Unc condition when it was "lost" and (b) very well protected.

[pulvinar]

12mm at 2 gms is too heavy for a Cilician obol, which are typically in the 0.5 to 0.8 gm range.  I guess it could be a diobol from the region and there is a known janiform diobol that matches your coin's type on coinarchives.  Both the janiform and goat motifs are common to Cilician coinage...particularly the fauning goat.

[DEAD LINK REMOVED BY ADMIN]

I'm leaning toward authentic...assuming that it weighs South of the 2gm mark.

Pul

[Sap]

I'll double-check the weight at work tomorrow (I don't have a good balance here at home).

[featherz]

Weight is very important. With my fake (in the forum database and can also be seen here: http://www.calgarycoin.com/reference/fakes/examples/fakechios.htm ) the weight was considerably off and this is what gave me (a relative novice, especially then) the tipoff that this was a fake. I hadn't even noticed the bumps on the rim, but neither had the dealer so I felt a bit better.

[Sap]

OK, some more info.

Weight confirmed: 1.973 grams

Here's a pic of the coin's edge. Note the very sharp obverse rim -  it just looks too "minty-fresh" to me. It's certainly much better preserved than any of the other shown examples.

Thanks to everyone for their efforts with this coin, especially finding the type elsewhere. Much appreciated. At least I know it's either genuine or a repro - it's not a complete fantasy. For now, I'll move it back out of my "black bag" into the main album.

[Molinari]

I think I've seen coins with a similar obverse from Lampsakos, Mysia.  The reverse usually has a winged horse though.

NJM