Phoenicia AR Tetradrachm Melqart/Eagle Forgery?

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Author	Replies: 3 / Views: 9,025
Susanlynn9 Forum Mom United States 5877 Posts	Posted 10/12/2007 1:48 pm I'm researching this coin for a client. I think I have seen this exact design before and therefore I think this is a forgery, but I'm not sure. I looked through the Toronto Group forgeries on Wildwinds but couldn't find this exact one. I also looked at genuine coins and could not find it there with the same markings in the fields. Obviously, if this coin is genuine, I will be sending it in for authentication, especially due to the condition. The coin weighs 11.0 grams and measures slightly over 26.5mm in diameter. Any help will be appreciated. Report this Post to the Staff

Sap Moderator Australia 16874 Posts	Posted 10/12/2007 6:45 pm At 26mm it's tetradrachm sized, but at 11 grams it's way too light to be a tetradrachm of the time and place it's purporting to be from; the coin appears to be dated LI (Year 10 = 117 BC). Tyrian tets should be around 14 grams, and maintained their weight and silver quality fairly well - I don't think any Tyrian tets should be that low. The surface looks wrong, too - particularly the graininess, and the way parts of the design (like the eagle's neck, wings and legs) seem to melt into the background. 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
Susanlynn9 Forum Mom United States 5877 Posts	Posted 10/12/2007 10:47 pm I agree. It was the design itself and the "coarseness" of it that made me feel that it was a forgery in the first place. Then I thought I remembered seeing this exact coin with all the same design flaws. For what it's worth, the edge looks very rough as I would expect from one of these, so I don't think it was cast. I can't find a casting line either. Report this Post to the Staff
t360 Pillar of the Community United States 2703 Posts	Posted 10/13/2007 10:30 am The weight is way low. The tets from this era should weigh 13.8-14.2g, the lightest one on Vcoins is a corroded piece at 12.68g. There is no evidence of corrosion or clipping to account for the low weight. Also it seems too flat - the obverse should be slightly convex and the reverse slightly concave. IMHO, Not likely to be authentic. Report this Post to the Staff
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