Modern Forgeries and Dies

PART ONE: GREEK ARCHAIC AND CLASSICAL

By Dr. Ilya Prokopov

While working on the Fake Coin Reports I noticed a series of reports replicas and copies correctly marked "COPY." I recognized specific products of steel dies that I have seen and which I had earlier added to the Fake Coin Reports. These dies are from one of the Dimitrovgrad studios that is directly connected with the "Studio Haskovo." The Fake Coin Reports now include both the steel dies as well as their derivatives. Because it will be a little more difficult to compare the dies and their products in the reports, I present them here arranged for your convenience. For the same reason I have flipped the steel dies to the 180 degree mirror images to synchronize them with the replicas.

Syracuse, silver tetradrachm, 346 AR tetradrachm, 28mm, 17.5g, minted under Agathokles c. 317-310 BC Modern replica Head of Persephone left, wearing wreath of corn; three dolphins around / Galloping quadriga driven left by charioteer holding goad; above, triskeles; in exg, SURAKUSIWN / AI

Rhodos, Rhodes, silver tetradrachm RHODOS, Silver Tetradrachm"REPLICA"26 mm RHODOS, Silver Tetradrachm struck in 387-304B.C in the large and important island off the south-west coast of Asia. Obverse: Head of Helios. Reverse: RODION, Rose with bud on left. 26 mm 16.5 gr

Amphipolis, silver tetradrachm AR tetradrachm, 26mm, 16.5g, 410-357 BC, 1378 Modern reproduction Head of Apollo ¨ú right, of vigorous classical style, laureate, and with hair disheveled / AMFÕOLITEWN on raised frame containing a race torch, A to right of torch; all within incuse square 

Olynthos, Chalkidian League, silver tetradrachm OLYNTHOS, Silver Tetradrachm "REPLICA"26 mm 16.4 gr OLYNTHOS, Silver Tetradrachm Struck 420-392BC in Olynthos, a city known as a center of the opposition to Athenian imperialism. Obverse: Head of Apollo to left, Reverse: EWNCALKID around Lyre. 26 mm 16.4 gr

Ainos, silver tetradrachm AINOS, Silver Tetradrachm "REPLICA"25 mm AINOS, Silver Tetradrachm struck in circa 405-357B.C from the city Ainos, situated on a peninsula at the mouth of the river Hebros. Obverse: Head of youthful Hermes facing, wearing petaso, ornamented with beads above brim. Reverse: AINION above goat standing to right and a trophy before. 25 mm 16.5 gr

Pantikapaion, gold stater AV stater struck in silver Sear 1693 Head of Pan left, wreathed with ivy / PAN, Griffin standing left on stalk of corn, head facing, spear in mouth PANTIKAPAION, Silver STATER "REPLICA"23 mm PANTIKAPAION, Silver Didrachm struck 4th Century BC in the city Pantikapaion.

Paeonia, LYKKEIOS, Silver Tetradrachm "REPLICA"24 mm LYKKEIOS, Silver Tetradrachm "REPLICA" 24 mm LYKKEIOS, Silver Tetradrachm struck in 359-335B.C Obverse: Laureate head of Zeus right. Supreme god of the Olympians. Father of Perseus and Heracles, the latter of whom once wrestled him to a draw. Zeus's Roman name was Jupiter. Reverse: Heracles strangling Nemean lion, club behind.

It doesn't take an expert to see that the replicas are a product of these die pairs. What makes an impression is that the replicas are marked with a positive inscription COPY put in an incuse oval. Comparing the replicas with the steel dies they were made with, we see that there is no such an inscription on the dies. Therefore it has been added later by a strike like a countermark on the reverse. This leaves the impression that marking is a question of a subjective decision. If the steel dies producers had the sincere desire to avoid scam or delusion with their products they would probably put the marking on the dies themselves. So far I have seen more than 150 steel die pairs of this group of studios and not even one with a definite marking that the product is a replica or copy. A small number of replicas has already shown on the market as marked and when we compare the styling and manner of work we could orientate to avoid mistakes. This orientation is easier with coins of high style and portrait peculiarities that are emblematic for collectors. But what can we say about the more schematic late ancient, Byzantyne and other coins?