Augustus Denarius (19-18 Bce): Legit Or Fake?

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Author	Replies: 6 / Views: 668
floyd5175 Valued Member United States 56 Posts	Posted 04/16/2025 8:23 pm I'm in the pre-purchase research mode on an Augustus denarius. Found this one for $275, but want to make sure (as best I can) that it's legit and not fake. It's an ebay seller in Switzerland with 1000+ reviews and 100% rating. Here's the seller's description: AUGUSTUS Ar denarius (19-18 BC) - oak wreath Obverse : CAESAR AVGVSTVS, bare head of Augustus right / Reverse : OB CIVES SERVATOS within oak wreath. Spain, Caesareaugusta, 3,39 g. RIC 77a. A couple concerns I have: 1. The weight of the coin is listed at 3.39 but research shows a weight of 3.7 g. is typical. But this coin is worn more than the 3.7 example I saw online, so 3.39 might be appropriate given its condition. 2. There's no diameter information listed. Maybe not a big deal, just seems odd. What ya think? Real or fake? Take a chance? Or pass? Report this Post to the Staff

Spence Moderator United States 32978 Posts	Posted 04/17/2025 2:57 pm @flo, most important is being able to trust the seller. Without that, it doesn't matter how good the coin or price looks. Consider using vcoins rather than ebay as your source for finding sellers of ancient coins. That said, there is nothing about this coin that screams fake to me. It would be nice to see a pic of the edge, but so far, it looks pretty reasonable to me. "If you climb a good tree, you get a push." -----Ghanaian proverb "The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed." -----King Adz Report this Post to the Staff
Sap Moderator Australia 16287 Posts	Posted 04/18/2025 09:43 am If you must buy ancients from ebay, then at least stay away from any seller found on the Notorious Fake Seller List, maintained over on the FORVM forum. While anyone who sells ancient coins might sometimes sell a fake coin by accident, the NFSL contains only sellers who deliberately, repeatedly, maliciously and unrepentantly sell fakes. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis Report this Post to the Staff
livingwater Pillar of the Community United States 1851 Posts	Posted 04/18/2025 3:16 pm Might want to check to see if there would be any import tariffs on it. Could depend how the seller describes the package contents. It looks genuine to me, but I mostly buy only from dealers I know and sellers who allow returns. Edited by livingwater 04/18/2025 7:43 pm Report this Post to the Staff
louisvillekyshop CCF Advertiser United States 1253 Posts	Posted 04/20/2025 2:57 pm Well I will say one thing: I agree there is nothing that says fake but ebay gives you 24 photos, of high resolution that are easy to post. This seller is going to the trouble of taking two photos then using something like Microsoft Paint to put one photo next to the other to make a single photo and then only posting one photo that is the combined result. That is very strange. Take a bunch of photos and edge shots and it all uploads for the same price easily. The person would get even more money with great edge photos etc. Report this Post to the Staff
floyd5175 Valued Member United States 56 Posts	Posted 04/20/2025 5:37 pm Hmmm... many good points. Even though it's still listed, I think I'll stay away. https://www.ebay.com/itm/335920580636 Report this Post to the Staff
jecz79 Valued Member Portugal 474 Posts	Posted 04/27/2025 4:44 pm Does not look a fake to me. Nothing obvious in the photos. But it is very hard to judge with worn coins. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 6 / Views: 668

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