EID MARR (!)

[helvetica]

The enclosed image of a silver coin was sent to me by a reputable dealer, who thinks it may be a barbaric imitation from the Thrace region.
It is a copy of an EID MAR but with a long, rambling obverse legend, partly inwards, partly outwards, which reads ..BRVI WAS IMPERI from the top clockwise and III ERL Y K T CEST RR (Y is upside down) from the top anti-clockwise.
The reverse - which is very well made - has EID MARR instead of the usual EID MAR.

I cannot imagine that a modern faker would make such a strange obverse, legend which has so little similarity to a genuine EID MARR, so wonder whether the dealer is in fact correct with his idea that it is a barbaric copy from Thrace ?

If so, would this coin still be appropriate in the fakes section ?

[gavignano]

its a fascinating coin. It would seem pretty unlikely if a modern forger would do that, unless, such a coin (a barbaric Eid Mar) as this is worth hundreds or thousands of dollars (I have no idea).
The obverse portrait for some reason to me doesn't look ancient, even "barbaric" ancient.

[Pscipio]

The style does not look ancient to me. The reason to make it look like an imitation rather than an official issue most probably is the same as with the modern plated coins of rare emperors that have been showing up lately: people do not doubt them so quickly.

Were it ancient, it would easily fetch a very high 5-digit price in an auction, even with the solder (?) bump.

Lars

[areich]

What kind of 'reputable dealer' is this that they can't judge the authenticity of such a coin?

[Lloyd Taylor]

What kind of 'reputable dealer' is this that they can't judge the authenticity of such a coin?

You do have to smile ....  

A lot of such 'reputable dealers' live in hope.  And as we know hope frequently triumphs over experience!

The 'reputable dealer' thought process: Experience says its a fake.  But why admit the obvious when there is the hope (at the 0.00001% probability level) that it might be acceptable as a barbaric imitative in which case I am rich!  Now I only need to get support for the outrageous, low probability proposition and I am on the way to the bank with my 'reputation' in tact.  

[Molinari]

The style does not look ancient to me. The reason to make it look like an imitation rather than an official issue most probably is the same as with the modern plated coins of rare emperors that have been showing up lately: people do not doubt them so quickly.

Were it ancient, it would easily fetch a very high 5-digit price in an auction, even with the solder (?) bump.

Lars

I was wondering what that "bump" on the obverse is as well. 

Were there many imitations of this coin type?

Nick

[helvetica]

What kind of 'reputable dealer' is this that they can't judge the authenticity of such a coin?

It happens all the time - note the number of "item withdrawn" notes in many auction catalogs and on auction websites - even of the biggest dealers in the world - because the coins in question were determined as fakes.
This particular dealer is from Eastern Europe.

[Hydatius]

No, it doesn't look ancient or barbarian, just incompetent.

Richard