Author Topic: Collection Received on Consignment - Many Fakes (Read 1877 times)

Joe Sermarini · « **on:** July 19, 2023, 10:20:58 am »

I received a collection of about 150 coins from a widow who's husband died unexpectedly and suddenly. She sent the coin in a cabinet without tags and has no information at all on the coins. Unfortunately, the collection includes many fakes. Probably all of the more expensive types are fake. I am not looking forward to informing her of this sad fact. I would also like to be able to say that I obtained additional opinions on the coins I condemn, either from the Fake Coin Reports, our members, and for any tricky ones, I will send to NGC. I know it is one coin per thread, but that will not work for this. If you have opinions, please provide the coin number for each coin you discuss. Please respond here, or by private message or email. The suspect coins can be seen here:

[BROKEN LINK REMOVED]

EDIT: The many condemned coins from this collection have been added to the Fake Coin Reports.

Lech Stępniewski · « **Reply #1 on:** July 19, 2023, 12:00:01 pm »

xx112631 Apparently from the same dies as already known modern forgery of aureus RIC VI THESSALONICA 44b. Looks peculiar. Maybe forger was also selling off less successful (and therefore not gilded) copies?

Din X · « **Reply #2 on:** July 19, 2023, 12:17:48 pm »

Almost all are known Bulgarian fakes or cast fakes.
Some like the crystallized Augustus could be ok.

I will look for references, when I have time, and update this post, but you should find many of these fakes already in fake reports.

The Galba is from Petar Petrov, it is in cataloge too but too lazy to look there it can be bought here is replica

https://www.etsy.com/de/listing/1425033328/roman-a-sestertius-of-galba-bronze-coin?click_key=bb678a93c5d8734b1eb130704998a6c542f50fb6%3A1425033328&click_sum=3ae8f6c8&ga_search_query=galba&ref=shop_items_search_2&pro=1&frs=1

reference for the Galba is the catalog by Petar PEtrov there number 784

5_Catalogue_Roman_Sestertivs 1-19

Din X · « **Reply #3 on:** July 19, 2023, 12:22:48 pm »

The most interesting one is the transfer die fake from MAXIMINVS Dia.

It should be a Solidus and made of Gold.
There were several of these transfer die fakes offered by fakes sellers on ebay but there were in Gold.
The authentic mother is known, ghost line where the planchet of the mother ends etc.

1. picture your transfer die fake
2. authentic mother
3. and following transfer die fakes from fake sellers

Joe Sermarini · « **Reply #4 on:** July 19, 2023, 12:41:28 pm »

Thanks Din X. It really is sad that I will have to inform this Widow so many of the coins are fake. The coins on this page are about 1/3 of the collection but the rest are common lower value coins.

Jay GT4 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 19, 2023, 05:34:09 pm »

Heart breaking.

Ken W2 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 19, 2023, 05:50:28 pm »

Hey Joe: I'll weigh in on the Legionary. There appears to be a die shift on the left side of the obverse as there is a partial double dot border and ANT appears twice. On the reverse, I wonder if it might be a XX. Note how the entire lower end of the right standard is missing and there is the raised dot right where the top of the right prong of the X would be. Perhaps that area of the die was clogged ? I scrolled through both Legion XI and Legion XX Schaefer's study and did not find a match for either. But on several coins I had to pause to be sure they didn't match, so the style is very close. I'd lean toward legit on this coin, but I'd sure prefer to have die match in Schaefer's or on CRRO.

Joe Sermarini · « **Reply #7 on:** July 19, 2023, 06:27:43 pm »

Thanks Ken, really the only reason I suspected the legionary is the odd flan shape. It is a small thing, but I have never hand a legionary with an oval flan quite like that.

EDIT: Condemned by NGC - https://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/displayimage.php?pid=22567

Din X · « **Reply #8 on:** July 20, 2023, 02:46:34 am »

The Pertinax is from Slavey

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=12668q00.jpg&vpar=3243&zpg=118204&fld=

http://forgerynetwork.com/asset.aspx?id=o9TOAx/u8oU=

Published in

The Celator Ausgabe 13 vom 01. Januar 1999: Slavey: the truth behind the legend von B. C. Demetriadi Seite 25, Bildtafel

Din X · « **Reply #9 on:** July 20, 2023, 02:57:12 am »

the caligula is published twice in D.Dimitrov I.Prokopov B.Kolev Modern Forgeries of Greek and RomanCoins. Sofia K & K Publishers 1997

The funny thing is that number 78 + 80 are from the same dies but they write different legend ^^

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=12617q00.jpg&vpar=3243&zpg=118153&fld=

Din X · « **Reply #10 on:** July 20, 2023, 03:10:59 am »

I am doing at the moment the description of my fake and dies collection and noticed that there are many errors in literature and online sources.
Wrong legends are rather common! But if you describe a fake coin you could write the legend correct because the legend could be different from normal and help to condemn or to identify these fake.

Here is a CALIGULA Denarius and the DIES, which are totally wrong attributed by Ilya Prokopov as TIBERIUS, in fake reports and in literature

Publiziert/Veröffentlicht/Referenz: Contemporary Coin Engravers and Coin Masters from Bulgaria: "Lipanoff" Studio, Ilya Prokopov, Sofia 2004 Seite 22 Nummer 24 gleicher Reversstempel, dort gelistet unter Tiberius
Lipanoff Studio: Catalog of all registered coin Types, Ilya Prokopov, Sofia 2016 Seite 47+48 Nummer 89-92, gleicher Reversstempel, dort gelistet unter Tiberius

On the obverse is CALIGULA and on the revers is either Augustus or Tiberius (almost all think Augustus), (the portrait on the obverse is clearly without a doubt Caligula)
Ilya Prokopov writes on the obverse Tiberius and on the reverse Octavian.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/displayimage.php?pid=5196

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/displayimage.php?pid=5992

Din X · « **Reply #11 on:** July 20, 2023, 03:13:35 am »

Another terrible mistake, Marciana as Matidia and the legend totally misread

Lipanoff Studio: Catalog of all registered coin Types, Ilya Prokopov, Sofia 2016 Seite 82+83 Nummer 178 (dort fälschlicherweise unter Matidia und die Averslegende wurde total falsch bestimmt „MATIDIA AVG DIVAE MARCIANAE F, bust of Matidia right“)

Din X · « **Reply #12 on:** July 20, 2023, 03:22:36 am »

The Balbinus is a Lipanoff forgery

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=12621q00.jpg&vpar=3243&zpg=118157&fld=

Publiziert/Veröffentlicht/Referenz: Contemporary Coin Engravers and Coin Masters from Bulgaria: "Lipanoff" Studio, Ilya Prokopov, Sofia 2004 Seite 68 Nummer 112/A
Lipanoff Studio: Catalog of all registered coin Types, Ilya Prokopov, Sofia 2016 Seite 162 Nummer 346

Din X · « **Reply #13 on:** July 20, 2023, 03:27:53 am »

The Philip tetradrachm is condemned in IBSCC Bulletin on Counterfeits BOCS Vol 16 No.1 1991 Page 18 Fig 4
You know already that it is fake (0.01c) but if you list it, then it must have a reason.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=12644q00.jpg&vpar=3243&zpg=118180&fld=

http://forgerynetwork.com/asset.aspx?mode=6Q/zOXMHeZ0=&id=ZC5qpCFp0Sk=

Din X · « **Reply #14 on:** July 20, 2023, 03:41:55 am »

The pupienus is a Lipanoff forgery , not publised by Ilya Prokopov, he published another one from the same emission but from different dies.
Lipanoff brothers made at least 2 dies of this emission, the one published by Ilya Prokopov is a recut transfer die.

To the unpublished ones, they are pressed and many of them have been sold by fake sellers, style and fabric is from Lipanoff

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=12672q00.jpg&vpar=3243&zpg=118208&fld=

Din X · « **Reply #15 on:** July 20, 2023, 03:48:29 am »

This 2 Denarii of Pertinax are from Petar Petrov have a look at 8.Б_Catalogue_Roman_Denarius, there 804 A+E

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=12677q00.jpg&vpar=3243&zpg=118213&fld=

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=12608q00.jpg&vpar=3243&zpg=118144&fld=

Din X · « **Reply #16 on:** July 20, 2023, 03:55:21 am »

Next the Balbinus fake was made with the die published in (there are strange lines in this transfer die, wither scratches or transfer errors, doesn´t matter they are not in the real acnient dies and connect the trasnfer die with the fakes.)
COUNTERFEITS OF ROMAN AND BYZANTINE GOLD COINS by Ilya ProkopovIlya Prokopov

https://www.academia.edu/11716750/COUNTERFEITS_OF_ROMAN_AND_BYZANTINE_GOLD_COINS

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=12657q00.jpg&vpar=3243&zpg=118193&fld=

Din X · « **Reply #17 on:** July 20, 2023, 04:09:03 am »

The Theodosius obverse die is unpublised but the reverse die is from Procopius and published

Lipanoff Studio: Catalog of all registered coin Types, Ilya Prokopov, Sofia 2016 Seite 201 Nummer 419-421

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=12659q00.jpg&vpar=3243&zpg=118195&fld=

I add some more pictures of fakes sold by fake seller, not in fake reports the obverse die

Din X · « **Reply #18 on:** July 20, 2023, 04:16:53 am »

Pharsalos hemidrachm is a Beirut forgery, got one in a lot with only Beirut forgeries.

The legend is strange, it should be ΦΑΡΣ, but I can read ΦΑΣΡ

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=12669q00.jpg&vpar=3243&zpg=118205&fld=

Din X · « **Reply #19 on:** July 20, 2023, 04:22:11 am »

Alexander tetradrachm is a Beirut forgery, it was condemned by Reid but his homepage is not working anymore

alexanderthegreatcoins.reidgold.com/modern_forgeries2.html

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=12650q00.jpg&vpar=3243&zpg=118186&fld=

Din X · « **Reply #20 on:** July 20, 2023, 04:45:09 am »

Gordian Africanus is a Bulgarian fake, I have for example this fake 3 times, 1 time different reverse die

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=12645q00.jpg&vpar=3243&zpg=118181&fld=

Din X · « **Reply #21 on:** July 20, 2023, 05:05:54 am »

The Julia Domna is a transfer die fake made from Lipanoff fakes.
I have some original fake and some fakes of fake in my collection, too.
Fakes of fakes are annoying.
The problem here is that neither the obverse nor the reverse die is published as Lipanoff forgery so far, but they are die linked to two Lipanoff fogeries which are published
Lipanoff Studio: Catalog of all registered coin Types, Ilya Prokopov, Sofia 2016 , number 239+249, obverse die is die linked to this fake.

To this obverse die there is a "scratch" or something like this a line behind here head on obverse right to VL of IVLIA and in front of here throat is a line from the dies, this is only in the Lipanoff dies.

Din X · « **Reply #22 on:** July 20, 2023, 05:09:55 am »

As you see the correct reverse die for your fake would have been FECVNDITAS .
Now the correct obverse die for your reverse die.
The correct obverse die is published in Contemporary Coin Engravers and Coin Masters from Bulgaria: "Lipanoff" Studio, Ilya Prokopov, Sofia 2004 number 72+76
and
Lipanoff Studio: Catalog of all registered coin Types, Ilya Prokopov, Sofia 2016 , number 239+249