Licinius Reduced Follis - Cast Fake

[Caesarea]

Can I get advice on authenticity of this coin please...weight not available as battery on scales out, but 19mm diameter
Thanks

[Lech Stępniewski]

The condition is not great, however, coin looks good.

This type is unlisted in RIC but few other examples are known

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/notinric/6nic-68_lic_d.html

[Heliodromus]

It's a modern cast fake.

Multiple copies have been sold in recent years by a number of fake sellers on eBay, such as vetoni86 on FORVM's NFSL or other alias/outlets for the same stuff such as coinmaster_01, vintage_items925 and bisdimi_60.

Here's a few more examples.

[Lech Stępniewski]

It's a modern cast fake.

You are apparently right. Shame on me. I wasn't careful enough. But why this type is not noted in Fake Ancient Coin Report or in Forgery Network. It is knowledge that needs to be shared as widely as possible.

[Joe Sermarini]

Fake coin reports PLEASE!

[Lech Stępniewski]

Fake coin reports PLEASE!

Done! After many irritating "A valid form token could not be found."

[Lech Stępniewski]

Is this coin the prototype for the rest or another (but extremely deceptive) fake? Any suggestions/impressions?

[Joe Sermarini]

There is only one genuine and many fakes. Odds are against it.

It also has peals and casting bubbles, confirming it is another fake. Look at the pit on F in P F. On a high point and perfectly round, it is 99.999% a casting bubble, not corrosion. 

[Joe Sermarini]

Fake coin reports PLEASE!

Done! After many irritating "A valid form token could not be found."

Thanks. I asked Sorin to look into the problem.

[Lech Stępniewski]

Look at the pit.

I agree, these rounded pits are very suspicious. On the other hand, this specimen has many tiny details which are absent on other examples. Well, pictures could be deceptive. Maybe in hand this coin looked somehow different and that's why it was sold by FORVM.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=91319q00.jpg&vpar=459&zpg=97872&fld=

[Joe Sermarini]

These are the sorts of things that don't look that suspicious until you have other examples. But once you know their are casts, they are condemning.

You should have sent me a private message, not posted here this way.

I have informed the buyer they should return it. Fortunately for me, I sold it for a low price. If I get it in hand again, and it looks good, maybe I will send it to NGC.

[Lech Stępniewski]

You should have sent me a private message, not posted here this way.

Sorry, but this coin was already in the link posted above as an example of authentic unlisted coin. So I decided that its authenticity should be analyzed in the same place. I believe that transparency is always the best solution.

[Joe Sermarini]

I don't allow naming of other dealers here. Why would you think I would appreciate your transparency? I did not find any link to that coin in this thread, so I don't know what you mean by that. And if you were really being transparent you would have said it was a FORVM coin in you post when you put up the photo. I would have responded the same way. The question is rhetorical; don't bother to answer.

[Lech Stępniewski]

I did not find any link to that coin in this thread, so I don't know what you mean by that.

Link from the second post in this thread (I posted it when I believed that these coins are authentic):
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/notinric/6nic-68_lic_d.html

Coin is the second example in "other specimens". But of course you can delete all this stuff. You are the boss and I am only the guest.

[Kevin D]

A good example of why I only buy from known reputable dealers.

I don't know how long ago the Forum coin was sold, but the buyer is still covered.

I once asked the senior numismatist at a very well known and reputable coin firm if he had an estimate of how many fakes escaped his attention and were sold by the firm. He thought it was about two percent of their total sales. It happens, the only way to avoid it is to only buy books...

[Joe Sermarini]

I am confident the number of fakes sold by FORVM is far less than 1%.

Books are not going to help most collectors avoid fakes. Few can devote the time to study and reach the level of expertise of professional numismatists. And it really takes handling a lot of coins.

[Kevin D]

I agree. I meant, only buy books, not coins. If you buy enough coins over a long enough period, you will eventually have a coin you need to return for reasons of authenticity. That has been my experience and it is why I only buy from people who I know stand behind what they sell.

[Lech Stępniewski]

Maybe I should say it strong: I know that Joe is a very reputable dealer, one of the best. I never doubted it. His first reaction ("I have informed the buyer they should return it") deserves a great respect. But I feel that in Joe's opinion I did something wrong. Whatever it was it was unintentional and I am very sorry.

[Kevin D]

I am confident the number of fakes sold by FORVM is far less than 1%.

I think Forum spends more time on checking their coins. Both are consummate experts at authentication, but I think there is a difference in the amount of time spent on checking each coin (different business models, different volume and time available to devote to each coin).