Hadrian Brass Sestertius

That does look much closer.

Thank you very much, it's all a great help

I can get it out tomorrow and get an accurate size and weight. Don't 100% quote me on the quarter - my memory is going along with my eyes, but I do seem to recall it being around that size, and much larger than the 'normal' ancients I have.

Very impressive coin. Almost certainly a sestertius based on the thickness I see in the photo. I think the coin is genuine from what I see but because it is so beautiful I would want a better look. This is an instance where the absence of any flan crack makes photographic observation slightly more difficult. Some people don't like cracks but I actually don't mind them so much. They can make the verification a bit easier. Cracks are hard to fake. But as they had not yet become common during the reign of Hadrian we must do without. A few rasp like marks on the edge don't bother me too much either. One might imagine a young (rich) lad impatiently waiting while his father haggles over price on a used chariot playing with one and scraping on the stone steps while he waits to visit the candy store.
There is an anomaly at 2 o'clock on reverse that bears some observation. If it was 'cast' this could be the sprue area disguised as an imperfection. I don't think it is only pointing out a possibility.

Over all I am about 90% satisfied. As mentioned in the grading forum I like a bit of 'thick' patina (preferrably with some coloration) This one has almost none and what I see is basic black. But it has much to be excited about ! Which is also why it deserves close inspection. Being excited about a coin is the best way to get fooled.

While I am here lets give it a grade too.

High end VF on the FR scale with some obvious wear. Well centered with reasonably clear legends. Great eye appeal and excellent artistic style (sometimes Hadrian looks a bit different but this really captures his persona)

VF-8

I have to admit, I can't really make up my mind about those edge 'scratches'. They could very well simply be just the result of being scratched against a stone surface.

Very minor PMD, you may say.

Thank you for the analysis!

I've taken some more shots of the suspicious area, along with a size comparison against the quarter. I was slightly off when I said it was "slightly" larger. Size of the Hadrian is 31.42mm and weight is 25.02g. Thickness is 4.4mm.

Yep! It's a sestertius, all right!
Ta muchly for those edge pictures.

The blanks were hot when struck, and were made orichalcum (brass: copper / zinc alloy), to make them more malleable, and to extend the die life. The technique also helped to restrict the amount of edge cracking.

You will notice the roughness of the surface inside the crack, indicating metal distress. From what I understand, that characteristic is very hard to reproduce with a cast fake. The metal surface inside the cracks tend to be much smoother, with a cast fake.

The style and fabric indicate genuine.

I like my newest hadrian sestertius, but yours is definatly the best!