Constantius Three argentei from Rome

[Lech Stępniewski]

Maybe I am now a little bit oversensitive about fakes but when I saw these three specimens with obverse from the same die a red light came on in my head.

All these coins are unlisted in RIC VI because obverse legend CONSTANTIVS NOB C is not attested for silver emissions from Rome (p. 351). Additionally, wreath-tie type is very rare (usually it is divergent).

Any thoughts?

[Din X]

I assume that most if not all are authentic.

We have here 1 obverse die but different die states, 2 times fresh and 1 time worn.
3 different reverse dies 2 worn and 1 fresh.

The reverse die statistically died earlier than obverse dies so it is plausible to have more reverse dies than obverse dies.
1 obverse die on 3 reverse dies looks possible.

Forgers generally make if they cut dies by hand 1 obverse die and one reverse die!!!!

What forgers sometimes do is that they make the same number of obverse and reverse dies and then mixing them.

To create this die wear forgery must have minted many hundred fakes, so where are these fakes?

But that forgers make 3 reverse dies on 1 obverse die is not really making sense.
They would rather make 2 obverse dies and 2 reverse dies and mixing them if they want to make die links between them.

Are you sure that there are not more die links?

If there are not more die links we have to assume that

Obverse A was used with reverse A, till reverse A died

Then

Obverse A was used with revers B, till reverse B died

And last, the last picture below

Obverse A now worn is used with reverse C


You need to mint, strike really many coins (several hundred or thousand) with a die/ matrix to achieve so much die wear as we see on this 2 reverse dies and the one obverse die.
I am not convinced that artificially created die wear in modern hand cut dies with something polishing/burnishing , will even look close to real die wear from metal flow with flow lines.
Not sure how they can create flow lines artificially without hammering coins.

Modern hand cut dies = number of obverse dies and reverse dies is generally the same and fakes are all from same die state (fresh dies), forgers do not mint as many fakes with dies as they did in ancient times.

Ancient dies, number of reverse die is statistically higher and dies were uesed till they did so you will find coins in different die states and broken dies were replaced with new dies so you will find die links, too.

[maridvnvm]

There is a fairly recent book "Le Monnayage en argent de la réforme de Dioclétien (The Silver Coinage of Diocletian's Reform), 294-312 p. C." that covers this coinage.

Looking through it there is an entry for coin 1 above as #40, which turn out to be citing this coin from the original Kunker sale, with the plates illustrating the coin above.

Coins matching coins #2 and 3 are cited under #141, there are two examples cited, 1) Stock Credit de La Bourse (1994) and 2) Gorny & Mosch, 147, no 2315. Coin 1) is illustrated and appears to come from the same obverse die but is not the same coin as either above.
Regards,
Martin

[Lech Stępniewski]

I agree with Din that these coins look generally OK, and of course I agree with Martin that Gautier regards all these varieties as authentic. But only one survived (but widely used) die with unattested for Rome mint legend CONSTANTIVS NOB C and very rare type of wreath-tie still makes me feel uncomfortable.