Authentication of gold decadrachm of Agathokles

[Arepo]

Recently I aquired the decadrachm in the pictures. The stile is not among the best and the grade is what it is that clearly made the coin more affordable. Three details raise questions:
- the legend goes anti-clock wise
- one of the feet of the triskeles has an unusual position (stretched rather bent)
- the weight, 4.1g, is slightly lower than average (4.25) and the flan a bit short.

I would appreciate a feedback from the more senior members.

Regards.

 

[Hydatius]

Sorry to be rude, but 'buy then check'. Isn't that backwards?

Richard

[Joe Sermarini]

While it is often possible to condemn a fake from a photo.  I don't think anyone can authenticate this coin from a photo. Especially for gold, well-made casts are hard to detect in-hand and often impossible in a photo.

The hair may be tooled. You would have to compare to a coin from the same dies to be certain.

[Arepo]

Hi Richard,

You are not rude but in my "before" pondering I normally take into account who is selling the coin and I generally attribute a low probability of forgery if that is a reputable auction house. Unfortunatelly over time I realised that even reputable auction houses sell good forgeries, hence my post.


Hi Joe,

I appreciate your comment. The style of the portrait is not great but I am not sure the hair have been tooled. For comparison: http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=378774.
Types similar to the one I bought have been sold in other auctions:
http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=365457
http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=658882
In both the legend is anti-clockwise but slightly different.
Unfortunatelly I couldn't find examples in the standard references.

[itkingcoins]

Did you give it back to seller? Did the seller refund you?