Is this Orbiana sestertius true or fake? Please assist

[Vitomir R]

Hello, I recently came into possession of this coin on a local online auction.

I want to know if this coin is real, or fake.

Diameter: 30mm
Weight: 19-22g (sorry, no digital scale)
Material: appears bronze

The coin is not affected by a magnet.

Please help me.

Thank you upfront!

[dwarf]

Sorry - but this is a very bad-made cast tourist fake

Greetings
Dwarf

[Callimachus]

To compare with a genuine sestertius of Orbiana, see here:

   
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-91948

[Joe Sermarini]

Sorry - but this is a very bad-made cast tourist fake

Greetings
Dwarf

Really? It may be cast, but I don't see any casting bubble pits, any pearls, any wavy fields, any edge seam, any filing. What makes it bad-made? What makes you so sure it is cast?

I have some doubts, but I need better photos or a fake coin report match, before I want to give my opinion.

This is what a bad-made cast tourist fake looks like...

[Vitomir R]

Hi Joe,

I can't upload better quality photos as the server keeps rejecting them due to their size.

Here is My Drive folder with all the photos I have atm.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12gBhOCMnKK1nCLICCHCJgapHO3AVDSqj?usp=sharing

Please let me know if these can be used to complete the analysis.

Thank you guys, really appreciate your time and effort.

[dwarf]

Thanks for the photos - but they will not change my opinion - based on 45 years working in interntional numismatics with a strong focus on ancients

This modern cast is in my opinion more than obvious, the "patina" a nice paint.

But maybe I am wrong

Greetings
Dwarf

[Joe Sermarini]

I can't upload better quality photos as the server keeps rejecting them due to their size.

No, the size allowed is plenty big enough. We see coin photos here everyday. You need to crop them and resize them with better quality. Also, even the photos on your drive have seem to pixelate at the zoom size I need.

Determining if it is cast should be easy in hand. The crack is either a genuine crack with a rough broken interior from splitting, or it is a fake crack (either a cut or cast with too smooth surfaces).

[Joe Sermarini]

Thanks for the photos - but they will not change my opinion - based on 45 years working in international numismatics with a strong focus on ancients

This modern cast is in my opinion more than obvious, the "patina" a nice paint.

But maybe I am wrong

Greetings
Dwarf

I asked you what makes it bad-made? What makes you so sure it is cast? You did not answer. I agree the patina is likely chemically "enhanced." It may be fake. It may be cast, but you called it a "very bad-made cast tourist fake."  That is, by the way, considered rude here - implying the person posting should have known better. Which is part of why I asked you to explain how you know it is cast. If you are going to say things like that, you should be able to explain yourself. And now you say it is "more than obvious." OK, please share your expertise.  

[Vitomir R]

This is the best I can get from raw pictures on my smartphone...sorry.
If these are not good enough a quality, I can take another round of shots, but in 9 days.
The coin is not with me atm, and will not be for another 9 days.

[Joe Sermarini]

Still no good. Full size they are pixelated. They are on your Google drive too.

[Vitomir R]

Ok, I will take my camera out of the box in 9 days.

Thank you!

[Joe Sermarini]

Look inside the crack. Is it a real crack or a cut?

[Vitomir R]

Look inside the crack. Is it a real crack or a cut?

The crack itself looked uneven from what I have seen, but can't be sure it is cut or not.

I will inspect it when I get home.

[Din X]

It is a very obvious cast fake, even without knowing the twins of which I have seen several on ebay within the last years

same flan shape, centering, wear, edge crack as the twins + artifical patina or no patina

I have not seen any of these dies, that was not cast.

Anyone here can look if there are die links or matches to proven authentic coins or proven fakes from modern hand cut dies.
But this will not change the fact that all 3 twins are cast fakes.


Twins,

https://www.coryssa.org/2503270/subcategory_id/1999/page/0/keywords/orbiana/search2/yes/date_to/2020-07-02/use_checkboxes/0/search_title/on/period/all/period/all/

https://www.coryssa.org/2325930/subcategory_id/1999/page/0/keywords/orbiana/search2/yes/date_to/2020-07-02/use_checkboxes/0/search_title/on/period/all/period/all/

[Joe Sermarini]

It is always obvious after you see the duplicates...

[Vitomir R]

It is a very obvious cast fake, even without knowing the twins of which I have seen several on ebay within the last years

same flan shape, centering, wear, edge crack as the twins + artifical patina or no patina

I have not seen any of these dies, that was not cast.

Anyone here can look if there are die links or matches to proven authentic coins or proven fakes from modern hand cut dies.
But this will not change the fact that all 3 twins are cast fakes.

Thank you Din X, Joe, Dwarf and others helping me get to bottom of this. I appreciate it.

[Din X]

For your delectation another one currently for sale by a small British auction house.
About identical flan shape and the same identical edge crack at 11 o´clock.
Artificial patina.


Roman Imperial Coins - Orbiana - Concordia Sesterius
225 AD

Wife of Severus Alexander, Rome mint. Obv: SALL BARBIA ORBIANA AVG legend with diademed and draped bust right. Rev: CONCORDIA AVGVSTORVM legend with emperor and empress standing facing each other and clasping right hands; SC in exergue. 18.48 grams. Good very fine. Rare.
Provenance
Property of a Croatian gentleman; imported UK 2020 with copy of a Croatia Minister of Culture export approval.
Literature
RIC 657; BMC 299; Sear 8194.