FORVM`s Classical Numismatics Discussion Board

Resources => Fake Coins and Notorious Fake Sellers => Topic started by: Joel S on July 16, 2020, 07:22:51 am

Title: Fake or genuine? Caligula Denarius
Post by: Joel S on July 16, 2020, 07:22:51 am
Hey Guys,

Someone who is selling his collection sold me this Caligula Denarius. I want to know if its fake..in another forum there is one who thinks that it is. The other ones think it's genuine.
Now I'm unsure.. The weight is 3,59g (so far,so good). I hope you can help me. It's expensive, like all of those types but if it's genuine the price was absolute okay.. I just want to be sure, for me there is no sign but I might not have the experience needed for this..

Thanks in advance,

Joel
Title: Re: Fake or genuine? Caligula Denarius
Post by: Joe Sermarini on July 16, 2020, 10:47:55 am
Did you look in the fake coin reports?
Title: Re: Fake or genuine? Caligula Denarius
Post by: Joel S on July 16, 2020, 11:51:06 am
Yes sir!
Title: Re: Fake or genuine? Caligula Denarius
Post by: Joe Sermarini on July 16, 2020, 12:13:54 pm
And did you find it or not? (This should have been in your first post.)
Title: Re: Fake or genuine? Caligula Denarius
Post by: Joel S on July 16, 2020, 12:27:56 pm
No didn't found it. That's why I'm asking. I'm a newbie here..
Title: Re: Fake or genuine? Caligula Denarius
Post by: Diederik on July 17, 2020, 04:06:42 pm
The coin does not  show any apparent signs of casting and has some damage that looks original. There are two places of recent damage on the edges, which show some coppery material. That could mean it is a plated coin, probably from antiquity. Very many silver coins od Caligula and Claudius are plated.
Though more fake coins than originals can be found, I would give this coin the benefit of the doubt.

Frans
Title: Re: Fake or genuine? Caligula Denarius
Post by: Joel S on July 17, 2020, 07:01:30 pm
The coin does not  show any apparent signs of casting and has some damage that looks original. There are two places of recent damage on the edges, which show some coppery material. That could mean it is a plated coin, probably from antiquity. Very many silver coins od Caligula and Claudius are plated.
Though more fake coins than originals can be found, I would give this coin the benefit of the doubt.

Frans

Thanks for your opinion! I was told by some other guys that it's not plated but (I dont know the english word) the coin is crystallized. Thats what the seller told me too. The weight is okay and the surface is not damaged.
Title: Re: Fake or genuine? Caligula Denarius
Post by: PMah on July 17, 2020, 11:45:13 pm
Well, I am not an expert on that particular coin, but it neither looks right nor does the story make sense.  Just my opinion.
Title: Re: Fake or genuine? Caligula Denarius
Post by: Din X on July 18, 2020, 02:23:54 am
" There are two places of recent damage on the edges, which show some coppery material."

I think that the pictures are misleading, the coin does not seem to have a copper core and a chip due crystallization.
Plated would mean that the whole core is copper and only covered by a very thin layer of silver.
If you look here on the Caligula on the chip you will notice that it is silver which has some toning and has possibly some encrustraions, if it would be a plated counterfeit under the chip must be PURE COPPER !!!
Compare the metal under the chip with this 3 crytallized Caligula denari and the metal under their chips and you will see that it is oxidized/toned silver.




Title: Re: Fake or genuine? Caligula Denarius
Post by: Joel S on July 18, 2020, 02:45:49 am
Well, I am not an expert on that particular coin, but it neither looks right nor does the story make sense.  Just my opinion.

Why do you think that it's not looking right? What story? He bought it from an an aiction house based in Paris, years ago (invoice here) and sold other coins to me and a coin seller I know. These were surely original. So if its a fake, I'm pretty sure he doesn't know. It's not plated amd like DinX (big thanks for that!) wrote, it's silver under the chip which is oxidized. So now that I know that it's oxidized/crystallized silver I'm nearly sure it's right. Crystallized silber should be hard to fake, so it's not new. If it is an ancient fake, why is it silver and not a copper core? A fourré is rarely in this good condition (especially the surface). But I'm not Sherlock Holmes,nor Jesus - I might be wrong with my theory. But I don't see a lot of other possibilities.

Greetings,


Joel

Title: Re: Fake or genuine? Caligula Denarius
Post by: Joel S on July 29, 2020, 12:51:21 am
So, after receiving the coin I can confirm that it's oxidated silver on the damaged place. It's not even looking that red under the magnifying glass.
As I did not found it in the fake coin reports and it has no sign of a fake coin I'm pretty sure it's genuine.

Thanks to everyone for their opinion!

Greetings,

Joel