Some other aspects that raise suspicion:
1)
Apollo wears a
laurel wreath, yet on these two examples the
wreath at the back of the
head includes a tie that is not present on any known authentic examples. It appears that the person who
engraved this
obverse did not know the difference between a laureate
head and a diademed
head and confused elements of both. No ancient Greek engraver would ever have done this.
2) The detail and
ornamentation of the
lyre is overdone and does not match known authentic examples in its form and detail.
3) The magistrates name beneath the
lyre, when present is always centred beneath the
lyre on authentic examples, not offset to one
side of the centre as appears the case on these examples.
4) The lettering of the
legend on authentic examples is of a refined high
standard with careful letter placement, yet that on these coins it is crude and misplaced with some letters running into other design elements: not just the omega is wrong, but all letters are suspect when compared to authentic examples of the
type. However, the blundered omega is an absolute stand-out error that is completely unknown on authentic examples of the
type. Following this the lopsided A is another unknown error on authentic
types.
To this I would add that the coins lack certain details of
fabric that you would normally see on struck coins. They have the appearance of being pressed, or centrifugally
cast (most likely in my view), rather than struck. This is based on photo interpretation and detailed physical inspection under magnification is required to confirm the suspicion.
Enough points have been raised to
cast some considerable doubt on the authenticity of the coins. That is not to say they are categorically fake, but the photo evidence points in that direction. I suggest you take them to a reputable
numismatist dealer for a determination of authenticity and thus value if you believe them to be authentic.
Fake Coins and Notorious Fake Sellers
