Help Please: Alexander Tetradrachm For Opinion.

Ok...thanks to Echizento and the links to those downloads I have an ID on this tetradrachm. It is a lifetime or early posthumous issue of Pella, Macedon, Price 233A, Müller 106. Expected weight 16.7-17.3g. The marking in the left field is a trident with fillets, to the left.

Thanks Echizento!

Eg. http://www.hjbltd.com/currentbbs/de...ntBBSUnsolds

So the question which remains is....is the one I have shown authentic?

These are my thoughts: The metal looks OK with no obvious signs of casting that I can see. The pattern of wear looks normal and in a general sense the style looks OK. I have some concerns about the quality of the rendition of Zeus. It is difficult to compare it to better quality examples, but it seems this one is just a little crude in comparison to the couple of others I found, even accounting for wear. In comparison to all Alexander tetradrachm however, it doesn't seem so unusual, some of which are cruder than others. I also noticed that on the two others I found there is a low cross bar on the seat, but am not sure how significant its absence is here.

So really I still need the advice of someone experienced with these types, who understands what normal is.

Help please!

Yes it is from ebay. It is from a dealer I have bought from many times in the past though. He is a long term dealer with no issues hanging over his conduct thus far. I do not see him selling obvious fakes and though I have never asked and it has never been made clear, I doubt whether there would be any difficulty with a return. In the case of this one though, I will make sure with the dealer that that is the case before I make a purchase...a lifetime guarantee in the event it turned out to be a fake.

The photo is a little ovsr exposed but it looks fine.

Anoob would know better on the price than I. You can also check Vcoins and ACSearch to get and idea what similar ones are selling for.

it may not be a bad idea to email one of the forum members if you have questions about a coin your really interested in and would want a lurker to snag.

V.C. You articulate well, what I (and I presume others) feel and go through from time to time.

I wish I could help you, but I am just starting out and I am yet to be able to tell the difference between my armpit and a hole in the ground, but, with the support of the guys (includes girls) here I am getting there. Heck (I think that is the right word) I have even identified the odd coin and given some 'sagely' advice along the way.

Re:- that coin. I couldn't see anything that would scare me and it appears that nothing 'scared' any other member, either, so there's nothing to worry about there, Price? Did you pay too much? I don't think so. We pay what we think a coin is worth TO US, not to someone else. ( I have had people say that a coin is worth $17.00 but I have paid $25.00 because I liked it and I knew that when I looked at it in my collection, it was mine.)
Whether you paid too much is only important if you are a dealer and you are planning on re-selling it. (Note:- Someone else thought that it was worth 50 cents less so even if you are 'out of touch' it is only by 50 cents.)

I think you did the 'right' thing, all round, and I hope that you enjoy your purchase.

Valecrucis I have only been collecting for about 18 months, and when I started out I paid far more than I should have done for many coins, mainly due to inexperience.

Now, I am little (not much) more savvy. If I see a coin that I fancy, I do check Vcoins for similar coins in the condition to the one that I want, and I know that their prices are very high, so that gives me a guide on what to bid. ie a lot less!

I have bought from Vcoins twice. One was for an Aelius and the other (actually from ebay but he has a store on Vcoins) was the elephant Julius Caesar. The reason for going to Vcoins for those two coins was that authenticity was very important as I was spending so much money. And if I want a high end coin, and I am going to be parting with a lot of money, then I will go to Vcoins again. I don't have the experience to tell fakes (particularly in silver) from the real thing.

So, if you pay a little over the odds, but you love the coin, then that is all that matters. If you are buying to sell on, then that is a different story. Experience will come with time.

I hope that you love the coin when it arrives.

Sorry if I am boring you all with this, or turning into a grand saga, but I have one further update:

One of the people I wrote to at FORVM has just got back to me. I'm not sure if he would wish to me to name him, so I shall call him AR and I think some of you will be able to work out who I am referring to. Basically he knows what he is talking about.

To cut a long story short, he gave the coin the full thumbs up, so I think my last lingering doubts are now vanquished.

End of story.....I promise!