| Plated coins are found across the coin issuing 'Greek' world. There are fourrees of Celtic Britain, Spain (left above), the Eastern Empires (left below) and most, if not all, of the coining authorities of Greece itself. Some issues are so commonly found plated that we suspect that they were officially issued. Unfortunately, other than the Athenian 'Emergency' discussed above, we lack documentation of this. For collectors, it is best to consider plated coins as interesting ancient sidelights but not official unless there is specific evidence that points to their being products of the government rather than counterfeiters. All plated coins sold should be clearly identified as such! The market value of these items is much less than solid items. This discount can be as much as 99% depending on the attractiveness (or ugliness) of a given specimen. In most cases, fourrees are much less common than the same issue in solid silver but this rarity does not impart any value to the coin to collectors. However ancient and interesting, a peeling and ugly fourree is considered untouchable by the majority of collectors. Perfect specimens with absolutely no core exposure are worth less than half the price of a solid coin. In recent years there has been an increase of interest in this sideline of collecting ancient coins but I encourage those wishing to participate in that speciality to use common sense when buying coins with so limited a market for potential resale. Let us be clear: Fourrees are not recommended as investment items for those interested in capital gain. |
Segobriga, Spain - Fourree drachm
204-154 BC - 3.0g
 Persian Empire - Fourree siglos
450-330 BC - 4.1g |
To an extent even greater than the Roman, Greek plated coins are a varied lot. With no central coinage authority, Greek cities employed a wide variety of techniques to produce official coinage issues. So did Greek counterfeiters. My personal expertise in Greek coins is far from deep enough to state with authority whether any particular style is correct or not. Workmanship of regular issue coins varied from the highest art to exceedingly crude. When counterfeiters copied the best of Greek coins, the results were often obvious and hideous. Fourrees, however, exist that have style very similar to the issues they mimic. Whether this is evidence of production by the regular mints, I can not say. This drachm of Arados is pleasant and well made.
Not all Greek fourrees are so attractive. This Athenian tetradrachm is a horrid fake. It was cast from a mold made from a real coin so the style is acceptable. Surface bubbles and loss of sharpness betray it as a cast fake. This loss of sharpness was made worse by dipping the cast in molten eutechtic alloy to achieve plating. Since the 72% AR/CU alloy melts at a lower temperature than copper, the coin itself was not melted in the process. The coin used for a master for this process bore test cuts on Athena's neck and on the face of the owl. Since these were in place before the coin was plated, there is silver at the bottom of the cuts. The counterfeiter probably hoped that these cuts would be accepted as evidence the coin was solid. A much better (foil technique) 
Unless I miss my guess few people who started this series will make it to this point on the page. I realize my ramblings on coins will bore most people. I have fun with my hobby. If you are interested only in the investment value of your coins, I can not imagine why you read this far. This 4th century BC fourree drachm of Kalchedon is peeled to a point of true ugliness but even here a true coin fanatic can find beauty or interest. The enlargement shows a point of core exposure on the reverse (5 o'clock). Did you ever look at clouds and see figures in the shapes? My mother taught me this game and I hope someday my daughter passes it on to grandchildren yet unborn. The game can be played with fourrees. Here I see a pretty little Celtic horse facing left. Do you? I would love to hear from anyone who read this far and has any ideas for how I can improve my pages. Meanwhile, have fun with your coins. If you don't, you might as well have put your money in an investment more likely to provide a positive return (stocks?). 