Ancient Coin?...greek?!...not Sure. Need Help!!

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Author	Replies: 6 / Views: 2,944
Banjax Valued Member Ireland 112 Posts	Posted 12/31/2006 2:02 pm Hi, I believe I have a very old coin, or else its fake. I'm a coin collector but havnt come across something like this before. on one side it has a woman head facing left, with 4 dolphins around her, 2 around her neck, 2 in front of her. on the other side is a chariot with 4 horses (quadriga), below it are a few symbols, I think (from left to right in picture) a shield, breasplate, helmet. this is a big copper coin (i think, or else itz bronze), roughly 40mm in diameter. Can you please give me any ideas on what coin this is? is it greek? Can anyone give me a value? I would regard its condition as Fine. Pics: if the pics dont come up on screen for you, here are the links: http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/...Coins003.jpg http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/...Coins004.jpg thanks! any help is much appreciated!! i changed the pics to scans of the coin. should be easier to see. Edited by Banjax 12/31/2006 6:14 pm Report this Post to the Staff

Susanlynn9 Forum Mom United States 5877 Posts	Posted 12/31/2006 7:47 pm I believe your coin is Greek with the bust of Persephone on the obverse. Hopefully, someone will come along with more info for you. Report this Post to the Staff
swamperbob Pillar of the Community United States 5362 Posts	Posted 12/31/2006 9:34 pm Hello Banjax - the coin appears to me to be a modern copy of an ancient coin. The surfaces have the wrong appearance and the rim seems too high and too unifrom. The obverse die is very familiar - if I can find picts I will post. Edited by swamperbob 12/31/2006 9:46 pm Report this Post to the Staff
Sap Moderator Australia 16850 Posts	Posted 12/31/2006 10:45 pm Yep, sorry Banjax - that's a copy of ancient Greek silver coin from Syracuse, Sicily; either a tetradrachm or dekadrachm - at 40mm, I suspect the latter. Very similar ones are discussed in this thread. I think this is what an original of your coin should look like (from Wildwinds) - this one's a dekadrachm: Edited to add: This one sold for $24,000. These coins are rare and beautiful - which is why they're copied so much. 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 Edited by Sap 12/31/2006 10:47 pm Report this Post to the Staff
Banjax Valued Member Ireland 112 Posts	Posted 01/01/2007 4:42 pm ok so its probably a copy. how do they make it so...'old' looking?!! how do they produce the light 'cracks' that can be seen on the surface. Report this Post to the Staff
Sap Moderator Australia 16850 Posts	Posted 01/01/2007 8:11 pm That's probably what swamperbob is referring to when he said the "surfaces have the wrong appearance". The cracks are probably a result of the casting process used to make the copy, and aren't supposed to be there. Two other things to note on your coin. It probably was more "silver looking" when it was first made; I assume that the grey stuff in the low areas around the chariot is the remains of some kind of silvery coating or wash. I also noticed that the copyist seems to have made a typo in the city-name: it reads SYAR, rather than SYRA. 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
Banjax Valued Member Ireland 112 Posts	Posted 01/02/2007 1:16 pm thanks for all the info sap in helping me clear this up. much appreciated!! Report this Post to the Staff
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