Ancient Greek Coin Purchased in Israel

[Brett O]

The coin weighs 3 grams according to my scales & is about 18mm across.  I'd started investigating this last night & came across this website.  It was quite difficult to make out the face at first, but eventually saw it. It appears to be Alexander the Great.  Most coins of this type that I've seen are listed as silver, so I suspected this to be silver. It's not been cleaned.  I suppose it was found in a digging site in Israel & made it's way to the flea market.  The back seems to be a sitting Zeus.  Would it be best to clean this up with silver cleaner, or leave as is?  Any comments are welcome that will help to further ID & evaluate it.  Hope my photo is clear enough.  Easier to see in person when changing positions in light.

[Altamura]

The type of the coin is indeed that of a drachm minted under Alexander III with Herakles on the obverse and a seated Zeus on the reverse.
It seems not possible to determine it in more detail because of the low preservation of the coin.

Another question is that of authenticity. I don't like these incrustations with the cracks on it. The normal weight of such a drachm is around 4,1 g, so 3 g would be too light (but I don't know what scales you used  ).
The origin of "flea market" doesn't increase my confidence further, so I am skeptical  .

Regards

Altamura

[Pscipio]

Unfortunately, the surfaces are those of a cast forgery, much like the other coin you posted.

Lars

[Brett O]

Was able to clean it up a little by hand with some metal polish and microfiber cloth.  A little more detail can be seen. Does that change your opinion any about it's authenticity?  Of course, I'm a beginner at this, but the examples of fakes that I've looked at don't look anything like the one's I have.  Do you have any similar matching examples that would help me to see it as you are describing?

[Altamura]

The new pictures are quite blurred, so it is impossible to see any difference  .

Regards

Altamura

[Joe Sermarini]

It is a cast replica.

[Brett O]

OK, I went ahead & scrubbed them some more to remove more of the tarnish & got the camera to focus better.  Interesting how much more is revealed after these scrubbings.  I don't know why anybody would go to such lengths to make fakes that cover details if that is what it is.  I was told these were found at Old Jaffa, which is one of the most ancient ports in the world.  Could this cracking have come from these being under water, perhaps?  Or, is that characteristic found sometimes in fake castings?   

[Joe Sermarini]

It is a cleaner cast replica.

[Jay GT4]

 

[Altamura]

…   I was told these were found at Old Jaffa, which is one of the most ancient ports in the world. ...

If you meet somewhere an unknown used-car dealer and he shows you an old car, telling that it has been in the property of Elvis Presley and has been found recently in an overgrown garage, do you believe that without any proof? Probably you don't  .

Why then believing an unknown dealer at some flea market telling stories from excavation sites and old ports  ?

Regards

Altamura