Unknown bronze coin diameter 30mm/ thickness 3mm/ weight 10g

[Stefan O]

Hello everyone!
Please help me to identify this coin.
Thank you.

[Pekka K]

Looks like Philip I sestertius, but weight is a bit low:

http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.4.ph_i.148A

[Stefan O]

thank you!

[SC]

If genuine it would likely be a contemporary copy - a cast of a Sestertius.  these were common at Carnuntum and likely in some other places.

SC

[djmacdo]

I also looks like a cast to me--and not necessarily ancient.

[Tacitus]

I also looks like a cast to me--and not necessarily ancient.

.


why would someone cast this coin in the modern era?

[djmacdo]

Fraud is always a possibility with ancient coins.  Do not take my word for it--I am by nature very suspicious.  See what opinion others have.

[SC]

The problem is that, as a cast and with no real patina left, it is hard to tell if it is an overly-cleaned ancient cast or a modern cast.

Personally I think it is ancient.

SC

[Tacitus]

Fraud is always a possibility with ancient coins.  Do not take my word for it--I am by nature very suspicious.  See what opinion others have.

No I understand your skepticism.. I was just wondering why someone would do this coin versus ones that are more rarer or more expensive...

[djmacdo]

Even the most common fourth century small bronzes are faked.  There seems to be nothing that is not the subject of the make-a-profit fakers!  Some of you coin in the photo appears almost silvery--or lead like.  If that on the coin or an element of the photograph?

[PeterD]

Fraud is always a possibility with ancient coins.  Do not take my word for it--I am by nature very suspicious.  See what opinion others have.

No I understand your skepticism.. I was just wondering why someone would do this coin versus ones that are more rarer or more expensive...

A potential forger would need to have a rare or expensive coin in hand if he wanted make a cast of it, which he would have to buy or borrow.
 Also, a cast of a rare coin is more likely to be scrutinised whereas multiple copies of common coins could circulate un-detected.