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Ancient Unknown 'Key' Coin?

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mdpmedia's Avatar
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 Posted 06/03/2016  4:19 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add mdpmedia to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
I didn't know what to call this coin so the reason for the name of the shape on the coin is because the shape on the reverse resembles a key shape.

Please assist to ID and opine on the value and rarity.


Ancient-Unknown-'Key'-Coin?

Ancient-Unknown-'Key'-Coin?
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Kamnaskires's Avatar
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 Posted 06/03/2016  4:26 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Kamnaskires to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
The key shape is a winged caduceus. See this link:

https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/ro...Default.aspx

I do have concerns about the coloring or plating (painting?) of yours. It should be silver.
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mdpmedia's Avatar
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 Posted 06/03/2016  5:19 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add mdpmedia to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
This closeup might help to differentiate between paint and a delamination etc.

If it happens to be a delamination, does it mean that it could be more valuable?

Ancient-Unknown-'Key'-Coin?
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Kamnaskires's Avatar
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 Posted 06/03/2016  5:25 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Kamnaskires to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Well, my fear is that it might be a cast fake, painted or gold leafed or whatever to fool a tourist who doesn't know that the coin should be silver.

Let's see what others say.
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echizento's Avatar
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 Posted 06/03/2016  7:22 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add echizento to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Sorry to say but this one is a cast fake.
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mdpmedia's Avatar
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 Posted 06/21/2016  4:31 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add mdpmedia to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I don't know if this changes anything but its weight is 3.1 g.

Also, how could I test it to determine if it is silver(Ag)?
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DavidUK's Avatar
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 Posted 06/21/2016  5:51 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add DavidUK to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
There are a number of tests...

Specific gravity (comparison of its weight in water to its weight in air gives the density of the metal and can be compared to silver)

Acid test (a cut is made and acid use that changes colour dependant on metal...marks the coin)

Laser test (special machine can determine metallurgy but is extremely expensive equipment)

Simple one to rule out if it isn't silver is place a tissue over the top... if it looks dark it is not silver, silver will look bright. You can test this with other coins you know to be silver and will see what I mean.
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Sap's Avatar
Australia
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 Posted 06/21/2016  6:03 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Sap to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
If it happens to be a delamination, does it mean that it could be more valuable?


Two issues here, for future reference.

First, ancient coins are hand-made and are much more prone to errors than modern coins. Unless an "error" is spectacular (such as mis-spelling the emperor's name) it usually does not attract much if any premium. It is the perfect, error-free examples that usually command a premium.

Second, ancient coins don't "delaminate" like modern ones can. Modern coin blanks are made from large slabs of raw metal that have been rolled and rerolled flat by huge mechanical presses; it is this process that stretches the metal out and causes laminar features and errors. The blanks are then punched out of the metal sheet by an equally huge machine. They simply didn't have machines capable of doing these things back then. Ancient coin blanks were usually individually cast.
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
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