Dr. Ilya Prokopov's Fake Ancient Coin Reports
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Home > Fake Coin Reports > Fake Roman Imperial Coins: Crisis to Recovery: Maximinus I - Numerian: AD 235 - 284

TrebGall.jpg
Trebonianus Gallus. AD 251-253.68 viewsAR Antoninianus
Obv. IMPCAECVIBTREBGALLVSAVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust r.
Rev. SAECVLARES AVGG / II, Stag l.
Cast
Ilya Prokopov
Uranius~0.JPG
Uranius Antoninus, Denarius54 viewsObv:- L IVL AVR S VLP VRA ANTONINVS, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:- CONSERVATOR AVG, Temple?

Modern reproduction

Sold without warranty on ebay May 2009
maridvnvm
Uranius~1.JPG
Uranius Antoninus, Denarius50 viewsObv:- L IVL AVR S VLP VRA ANTONINVS, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:- CONSERVATOR AVG, Temple?

Modern reproduction. Another example of this type. With different centering implying that these are not cast but more than likely struck with modern dies.

Sold without warranty on ebay May 2009
maridvnvm
Uranius~2.JPG
Uranius Antoninus, Denarius61 viewsObv:- L IVL AVR S VLP VRA ANTONINVS, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:- CONSERVATOR AVG, Temple?

Modern style.

Sold as original on ebay October 2009.
maridvnvm
31.jpg
Valentinian I solidus RIC 9 Antioch 2(b) xxx 4146 viewsObv: D N VALENTINI-ANVS P F AVG
Bust, right, draped and cuirassed, rosette-diademed

Rev: RESTITVTOR-REIPVBLICAE / ANTH*
Emperor standing, facing, head right, holding victory on globe and labarum depicting a cross.

RIC IX Antioch 2(b) xxx 4

Fakes published in Bulletin on Counterfeits 2 (1977), p. 94 and 21.2 (1996/7), p. 29. Part of the same group as the numerous forgeries of the Honorius solidus posted here many times. See other copies of this fake listed here.
maridvnvm
aur_val_3.jpg
Valerian Aureus36 viewsSellers desc:
This is a pure gold standard Valerian (24 K) and solid gold. 8.2 grams. This is a perfect replica of the original.

Shipping from Spain to Italy is 12 euros. registered and insured.
SRukke
169.jpg
VALERIAN I73 viewsAV Aureus 17/18 mm.
Obv. IMP.C.P.LIC.VALERIANVSAVG. Laur. and dr. bust r.
Rev. ROMAEAET ERNAE. Roma seated l., holding spear and Nike.
Struck. Die-engraver "Slavey Studio - Haskovo I"
Published: Sofia 2003, no.169
I. Prokopov
Ilya Prokopov
Valeriano_aureo.jpg
Valerian I, Aureus45 viewsAV Aureus, 8.2 grs., 257 AD., Rome mint.

Obv: IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG, Laureate, draped bust right.
Rev: ORIENS AVG[G], Sol standing left, right hand raised, holding globe in left.
RIC Va #47 var (Legend)

Offered as Reproduction on Ebay (Spain)
Dec/2011
mdelvalle
Val.jpg
Valerian I, Aureus, RIC ?91 viewsObv:- IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG, Laureate, draped bust right
Rev:- ROMAE AETERNAE, Rome seated left on shield, holding Victory and spear

Published by I. Prokopov, Sofia 2003, no.169, Struck. Die-engraver "Slavey Studio - Haskovo I"

Sold as a solid gold replica on ebay October 2008
maridvnvm
valerian_becker.jpg
Valerian I, Aureus, RIC ?, in silver, Becker122 viewsAureus in silver circa 257
Obv:- IMP C P LIV VALERIANVS AVG Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:- ORIENS AVG Sol standing left, right hand raised and holding whip in left hand.

A Becker replica.

Sold as a Becker on ebay June 2009
maridvnvm
Valerian.jpg
Valerian I, denarius, RIC ?72 viewsObv:- IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG, Laureate, draped bust right
Rev:- ROMAE AETERNAE, Rome seated left on shield, holding Victory and spear

Sold as a without "document of authenticity" on Ebay March 2008

Submitted by Maridvnvm
maridvnvm
valerian~0.jpg
Valerian I, denarius, RIC ? 70 viewsObv:- IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG, Laureate, draped bust right
Rev:- ROMAE AETERNAE, Rome seated left on shield, holding Victory and spear

Published by I. Prokopov, Sofia 2003, no.169, Struck. Die-engraver "Slavey Studio - Haskovo I"

Sold as a replica on ebay August 2008.
maridvnvm
137534.jpg
Valerian II105 viewsFake AE sestertius of Divus Valerian II, son of Gallienus and Cornelia Salonina. 15.65g, Rome mint, 258AD
obv: DIVO CAESARI VALERIANO, bare-headed and draped bust right
rev: funeral pyre of five tiers hung with garlands and surmounted by quadriga.
Cf. RIC IV 35; cf. MIR 36, 264r; cf. Cohen 17. VF, dark brown surfaces, porous.
Offered in a mail bid sale by a major house, 2005 with descriprtion: "very rare issue, unpublished with this obverse legend and bust type." Withdrawn as a modern cast forgery.
commodus
Valerian_II.jpg
Valerian II, as Caesar, Antoninianus, RIC 135 viewsObv:- P LIC VALERIANVS CAES, Radiate and draped bust of Valerian right.
Rev:- IOVI CRESCENTI, Jupiter as a child riding n back of goat right raising hand in salute and holding thunderbolt.
RIC 13

Fake from modern dies. Sold as a replica.
maridvnvm
Valerian_recut.jpg
Valerian recut into Macrianus11 viewsLikely a modern re-cut Valerian/Macrianus Antoninianus.
IMP C FVL MACRIANVS P F AVG recut over radiate, cuirassed bust of Valerian I right.
ROMAE AETERNAE, Roma seated left on shield, holding Victory and spear.
Macrianus: RIC 11; RSC 11; Sear 10807.

A coin of Valerian I with the head of Valerian on the obverse but with the re-cut legend IMP C FVL MACRIANVS P F AVG to make it appear as RIC 11 of Macrianus.
The heads are utterly different, Valerian is older and has different features than the much younger Macrianus. RIC does not list the .. PF AVG legend for this reverse type for Valerian.
The use of dies from a coin of Valerian in ancient times and re-using it for Macrianus is unlikely because of the time between AD 256 when Valerian's ROMA AETERNAE coins were struck, and AD 260-261 when the same reverses were struck for Macrianus. In the interim Gallienus also had coins with this reverse struck, so they would have more likely used one of his dies.
I believe that the re-cutting is modern, in view of the fact that Macrianus coins are rarer than those of Valerian.

helvetica
44_Valérien_500.jpg
Valerianus21 viewsValerianus
Monoface modern paduan engraved by Jérémie KETELS (France) 2020
(from a complete collection of the 48 emperors of the High Empire).
Copper, diameter 35mm, 20g
pescennius
Victorinus.jpg
VICTORINUS90 viewsVar. - AR Denar?
Cast from Slavey's prototype
"Dimitrovgrad Studio".
Published: Sofia 2003, no.171
Ilya Prokopov
171.jpg
VICTORINUS74 viewsAR Miliarensis; AV Aureus 20/19 mm.
Obv. IMPCAESVICTORINVSPFAVG. Laur. bust r.
Rev. PROVIDENTIAAVG. Gorgoneion facing.
Struck. Die-engraver "Slavey Studio - Haskovo I"
Published: Sofia 2003, no.171

Ilya Prokopov
BOC_1992_BMF_22b.jpg
Victorinus, Aureus115 viewsObv:- IMP CAES VICTORINVS P F AVG, Laureate cuirassed bust left
Rev:- COME - S AVG Victory standing left, holding wreath and palm-branch.
Fig 22a is the false coin - 5.61g
Fig 22c is genuine from a private collection
Fig 22d is genuine from a private collection

This coin is part of what IAPN/BOC coined as the British Museum Forgers (BMF) production. These are coins based on electrotypes of coins from the British Museum (BM) that have been used to create new dies that have been enhanced in various ways. These coins are considered dangerous counterfeits and caused a lot of embarrassment amongst dealers in the mid-late 1980s when they made it through onto the market.

Whilst being dangerous they all share certain characteristics:-
a) the relief on the coin type is much more rounded and fuller than on the original coin and is often higher
b) many of the coins show no sign of any real wear but lack sharpness giving the impression of being weakly struck
c) the coin is known in an example from the same dies in the BM collection
d) the coin differs in very small ways and these changes are areas of either wear or damage on the BM coin
e) the area of join between the coin type and the flan is never really sharp
f) on gold coins the fields tend to be perfectly flat with some wavyness or convexity on the reverse. The surfaces are so perfect they look like melted chocolate
g) the pattern of wear makes no sense with very clear details on areas which are higher in relief than more flat or worn ones

Another dangerous forgery creating a hitherto unknown die combination. It is possible that the BMF had access to 19th century electrotypes of the originals of these coins to create this piece. The usual surface and relief problems arise when examined in detail. Very dangerous in hand.

Published in the IAPN BOC Vol 17, No. 1 in 1992 - Example 22a
Image used with permission of IAPN
maridvnvm
BOC_1992_BMF_23a.jpg
Victorinus, Aureus89 viewsObv:- IMP CAES VICTORINVS P F AVG, Laureate cuirassed bust left
Rev:- COME - S AVG Victory standing left, holding wreath and palm-branch.
Fig 22b is the false coin - 5.70g
Fig 22c is genuine from a private collection
Fig 22d is genuine from a private collection

This coin is part of what IAPN/BOC coined as the British Museum Forgers (BMF) production. These are coins based on electrotypes of coins from the British Museum (BM) that have been used to create new dies that have been enhanced in various ways. These coins are considered dangerous counterfeits and caused a lot of embarrassment amongst dealers in the mid-late 1980s when they made it through onto the market.

Whilst being dangerous they all share certain characteristics:-
a) the relief on the coin type is much more rounded and fuller than on the original coin and is often higher
b) many of the coins show no sign of any real wear but lack sharpness giving the impression of being weakly struck
c) the coin is known in an example from the same dies in the BM collection
d) the coin differs in very small ways and these changes are areas of either wear or damage on the BM coin
e) the area of join between the coin type and the flan is never really sharp
f) on gold coins the fields tend to be perfectly flat with some wavyness or convexity on the reverse. The surfaces are so perfect they look like melted chocolate
g) the pattern of wear makes no sense with very clear details on areas which are higher in relief than more flat or worn ones

Another dangerous forgery creating a hitherto unknown die combination. It is possible that the BMF had access to 19th century electrotypes of the originals of these coins to create this piece. The usual surface and relief problems arise when examined in detail. Very dangerous in hand.

Published in the IAPN BOC Vol 17, No. 1 in 1992 - Example 22b
Image used with permission of IAPN
maridvnvm
BOC_1992_BMF_23a~0.jpg
Victorinus, AV Aureus85 viewsObv:- IMP VICTORINVS AVG, Laureate, cuirassed of Victorinus bust right holding spear and shield
Rev:- VICTORIA AVG, Laureate and draped bust of Victory right holding wreath and palm branch
Fig 23a is the false coin - 4.77g
Fig 23b is genuine from London - 4.08g

This coin is part of what IAPN/BOC coined as the British Museum Forgers (BMF) production. These are coins based on electrotypes of coins from the British Museum (BM) that have been used to create new dies that have been enhanced in various ways. These coins are considered dangerous counterfeits and caused a lot of embarrassment amongst dealers in the mid-late 1980s when they made it through onto the market.

Whilst being dangerous they all share certain characteristics:-
a) the relief on the coin type is much more rounded and fuller than on the original coin and is often higher
b) many of the coins show no sign of any real wear but lack sharpness giving the impression of being weakly struck
c) the coin is known in an example from the same dies in the BM collection
d) the coin differs in very small ways and these changes are areas of either wear or damage on the BM coin
e) the area of join between the coin type and the flan is never really sharp
f) on gold coins the fields tend to be perfectly flat with some wavyness or convexity on the reverse. The surfaces are so perfect they look like melted chocolate
g) the pattern of wear makes no sense with very clear details on areas which are higher in relief than more flat or worn ones

Another brilliant forgery based on the BM electrotype. Usual surface and relief problems.

Published in the IAPN BOC Vol 17, No. 1 in 1992 - Example 23
Image used with permission of IAPN
maridvnvm
Victorinus 015.jpg
Victorinus, cast copy of Slavey fantasy type131 viewsCast copy of Slavey fantasy of Victorinus.
As for the previously reported Slavey coin, but the features are less sharp and artificial patination has been applied.
Apparently based on a Victorinus aureus, RIC V 99.
Obverse: IMP CAES VICTORINVS PF AVG, laureate bust right.
Reverse: PROVIDENTIA AVG, gorgoneion.
moonmoth
victorinus_fantasy.JPG
Victorinus, fantasy denarius, Medusa137 viewsIMP CAES VICTORINVS PF AVG laureate bust right / PROVIDENTIA AVG facing bust of Medusa

Modern fantasy piece by Slavey.
postvmvs
Victorinus.jpg
Victorinus, fantasy denarius, Medusa51 viewsObv:- IMP CAES VICTORINVS P F AVG, laureate bust right
Rev:- PROVIDENTIA AVG facing bust of Medusa

Modern fantasy piece by Slavey.

Sold as genuine on ebay April 2008
maridvnvm
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