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Author Topic: Zenobia coin  (Read 1562 times)

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Offline Blayne W

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Zenobia coin
« on: January 16, 2019, 11:42:16 am »
I have bought several uncleaned lots in the past couple months and have been basically letting DW and tooth brushes do its thing.  One coin recently had caught my eye.  It looked like a female bust and started with SZ.  Anyways I snapped a picture this morning on my way to work quickly to see if I could some how identify it.  Well it wasnt to hard.  Typing SZ in Ocre only gave me one hit.  I didnt snap a picture of the reverse as so far there is nothing to see yet, and I was literally running out the door.

I do think I have a Zenobia coin and I hadnt heard of her before this morning.  A quick look for coins didnt seem to bring up many examples.

I know I really failed on getting more information, like size and weight and better photos but I guess I just want to confirm that this could be a Zenobia coin and then I guess figure out what I should do with it.  I will update this thread with Size and weight when I do get it.

Offline Canaan

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Re: Zenobia coin
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2019, 11:51:07 am »
Hi Blayne, it is indeed a coin of Zenobia, congrats for having a rare coin!!!
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Offline Blayne W

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Re: Zenobia coin
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2019, 11:56:20 am »
Thank you, I am looking forward to reading about her.  I just have to figure out what to do with her.  I am leaning to putting her away for awhile while I build up my cleaning skills.  ( i am far from good at cleaning right now).

Offline djmacdo

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Re: Zenobia coin
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2019, 11:57:35 am »
To me, that looks like a coin of Salonina that has been re-engraved.  Fake

Offline Blayne W

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Re: Zenobia coin
« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2019, 12:11:47 pm »
Thats the one fear I have, since it came from an uncleaned lot.  I have been looking through the photos that I have of the lots I bought to see if this coin was highlighted in anyway. 


Offline Blayne W

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Re: Zenobia coin
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2019, 05:13:57 pm »
Grabbed a couple more photos while home for lunch.  I also grabbed the weight and size.

It weighs 2.2g and measured 17.7mm

Offline Tracy Aiello

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Re: Zenobia coin
« Reply #6 on: January 17, 2019, 09:33:13 am »
Blayne,

One place to start learning about the coinage of Zenobia, which if I am not mistaken is very rare (perhaps six weeks or slightly more of emissions) is here: Bland, Roger. "The Coinage of Vabalathus and Zenobia from Antioch and Alexandria" in NC 171 (2011). This is available online at https://www.jstor.org/stable/42667232

Offline OldMoney

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Re: Zenobia coin
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2019, 10:15:11 am »
To me, that looks like a coin of Salonina that has been re-engraved.  Fake

I firmly agree with djmacdo.
This is probably a modern concoction.
An interesting novelty, little more.

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Offline Blayne W

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Re: Zenobia coin
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2019, 03:46:57 pm »
Thanks for your input on this.  I have contacted David Sear to see if there is enough information in my photos for him to be able to judge on the authentication of  the coin without me having to further clean at this point.    I think the money spent having him look at it is worth it to me, even if he says it is most likely a fake.  Is its genuine, thats fantastic.  If its a fraud then, its my first that I know of, which I can use as a learning experience.

Offline Blayne W

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Re: Zenobia coin
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2020, 03:00:56 pm »
Just to give an update on this coin.  I sent it off beginning of January to David Sear for Authentication, just in case it was an authentic coin.  Would have felt dumb if I condemned it without checking to make sure.  He was great to deal with and unfortunately sent the coin back noting that it was a Salonina coin forged to resemble a Zenobia coin. 

Offline paps

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Re: Zenobia coin
« Reply #10 on: February 11, 2020, 12:52:02 pm »
To find any silver in an uncleaned lot is rare. But, for big lots, they may throw one or two low quality coins. Most (if not all) are looked over and cherry picked. Although a fake indeed, I'd be happy to have an oddity like that in my collection right next to an authentic Salonina.

Offline Ginolerhino

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Re: Zenobia coin
« Reply #11 on: October 15, 2021, 03:29:08 am »
Authentic Zenobia antoniniani, minted in Antioch, have lunar Є. This one has E, and Zenobia's bust is not of Antiochene style. Thus it is (unfortunately) a fake...

 

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