Dr. Ilya Prokopov's Fake Ancient Coin Reports
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Home > Fake Coin Study Images - Learn to Identify Fake Coins > Evidence of Casting

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Circular holes from air bubbles from casting.934 viewsPits (holes) from corrosion are often irregular shapes and are often bunched together, pits from casting are mainly round. More pitting on one side than the other may be an indication of casting since the side that was up will contain more holes (but it isn't unusual for one side to have more pitting from corrosion too).1 commentsJoe Sermarini
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Circular holes from air bubbles from casting.832 viewsPits (holes) from corrosion are often irregular shapes and are often bunched together, pits from casting than from casting are mainly round. More pitting on one side than the other may be an indication of casting since the side that was up will contain more holes (but it isn't unusual for one side to have more pitting from corrosion too).
Joe Sermarini
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Circular holes from air bubbles from casting.937 viewsHadrian Denarius 2.7okidoki
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Evidence of Casting824 viewstypical cast:

very soft details
underweight

Weight : 18.47gr
Size : 29mm
okidoki
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Evidence of Casting - A Cast Fake Collection - Wrong Metal, Soft Details, Edge Seems, Raised Rims1758 viewsThis "Collection" was offered to Forum for sale. All the coins are cast. Most are the wrong metal - the originals were silver. All have the soft details of cast coins. Many have easy to see seams on the edge. Many have raise rims on the obverse that are not found on genuine coins. These are some of the most common replicas we see. Click on the photo to see a nice BIG enlargement.Joe Sermarini
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Evidence of Casting - A Clear Example of Soapy Soft Details2404 viewsObvious cast for study. Syracuse tetradrachm.

Imagine a fancy bar of soap made as sort of an over-sized coin replica. (Fancy hand soap for the guest bathroom!). After people use the soap a dozen times the sharp details are lost, not just on the high points but everywhere. Coins do not wear like a bar of soap, they wear on the high points while protected areas stay sharp. This coin perfectly demonstrates the "soapy" look.
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Evidence of Casting - Absence of Metal677 viewsThis is an unsuccessful cast and an extreme example of the absence of metal. Most forgers would just remelt a fake this bad.

The hole is not drilled or punched through the coin. This is a flawed cast where not enough metal was poured to fill the mold.

Caution, there are some genuine coins struck on flawed incomplete flan with similar casting flaws. This mint error is, however, uncommon and mostly seen only with Judean prutot. Genuine coins are struck and the details of the types will not have a cast appearance.
Ilya Prokopov
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Evidence of Casting - An Example with Obvious Casting Flaws4223 viewsClick to see a larger image of an extreme example to help new collectors understand what soft details, etc. mean. All features are rounded. Nothing sharp. Everything blends into fields without distinct edges. It is fairly obvious the pits are not corrosion, but from air bubbles in the liquid metal. Even though the edge has been filed, there is still a trace of the seam. Posted on the boards by peterhill.
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Evidence of Casting - Apparent Wear That Isn't Wear3232 viewsA cast Alexander the Great drachm and a cast Tiberius denarius "Tribute Penny." Both exhibit the typical soft edges and missing details of cast coins. While both superficially appear to be worn, the wear is equal on the high points and in protected recessed areas, which is impossible. There are no actual indications of circulation - tiny bumps and scratches.Joe Sermarini
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Evidence of Casting - Area Between Lip and Chin Blends Into the Field1348 viewsThe area between the lip and the chin on genuine coins is often very low relief, just above the surface of the fields. On cast fakes the detail is may be lost and the area may blend into the field. Soft edges between the portrait and the field, and casting flaws are also visible.Ilya Prokopov
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Evidence of Casting - Bubbles and Pearls1610 viewsCasting bubbles can resemble pitting from corrosion but they are usually rounder. Pearls are bumps caused by bubbles in the surface of the mold.Ilya Prokopov
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Evidence of Casting - Bubbles on Edge1857 viewsCasting bubbles on edge.1 commentsIlya Prokopov
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Evidence of Casting - Bubbles, Inclusions, Edge Seam and File Marks968 views1 commentsJoe Sermarini
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Evidence of Casting - Cast Fake or Genuine Original?2753 viewsSharpness in some areas looks more struck than cast. Overall, it certainly has the characteristics of a cast. Sometimes, however, these characteristics also result from wear and corrosion. Most likely the authenticity of this coin could be determined quickly in hand. But sometimes it just isn't possible to determine if a coin is genuine, especially from a photo alone. Our recommendation is simply not to buy coins like this from anyone except the most reputable dealers. Note: This coin IS fake.Joe Sermarini
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Evidence of Casting - Cast Made with a Pressed Fake Seed Coin900 viewsOtho AR denarius
Cast. Many cast fakes are made with molds created using fakes. Apparently some forgers cannot afford the real coins to make the molds or, more likely, they just don't care.
Ilya Prokopov
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Evidence of Casting - Cast Surfaces1465 viewsThere is no mint luster, no sign of metal flow, nor is there any indication of circulation - no small scratches, no wear. Superficially, the surfaces appear to have light corrosion, but it is more regular and invariable than genuine corrosion.
Ilya Prokopov
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Evidence of Casting - Casting Bubbles1116 viewsThe bubbles here look nothing like pits caused by corrosion. Ilya Prokopov
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Evidence of Casting - Casting bubbles559 viewsRoman Republic, P. Maenius Antiaticus

Casting pits (tiny holes) on the reverse.

Corrosion can be excluded here.

The coin was offered in November 2018 on ebay by fake seller diosesdelolimpo.

Reference: Crawford 249/1
Germania Magna
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Evidence of Casting - Casting Bubbles and Casting Pearls1531 viewsCasting bubbles and casting pearls (or knots) are clearly visible in this photo. Pearls are raised bumps where metal filled the voids from bubbles in a cast mold (in appearance, the opposite of bubbles).Ilya Prokopov
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Evidence of Casting - Casting Seam716 viewsOften casting seams are subtle, like this one. Joe Sermarini
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Evidence of Casting - Casting Sprue1453 viewsHere we can clearly see remnants from a casting sprue after removal. Most examples will not be this obvious. Ilya Prokopov
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Evidence of Casting - Casting Sprue753 viewsLot of Late Roman bronze and Iberian coins recently cast and before cleaning and mask, the casting sprues are still there.
Pictures facilitated by Remoneda in the Spanish Forum OMNI.
mdelvalle
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Evidence of Casting - Casting Sprue Before Removal889 viewsThis coin shows the sprue remaining after casting. This was where the melted metal was poured into the mold. Typically, the counterfeiters cut that metal and carefully smooth the edge. When examining a suspected cast fake, look for the spot where the sprue was removed.Ilya Prokopov
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Evidence of Casting - Casting Sprue Before Removal997 viewsCast AR Denarius before cleaning and mask.Ilya Prokopov
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