Roman Republic Denarius - Authentication Quest

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Author	Replies: 7 / Views: 1,593
EFLargeCents Pillar of the Community United States 1304 Posts	Posted 04/18/2017 2:37 pm Here is an L Aemilius Paullus I picked up recently from a very reputable dealer. Weight is 3.87grams. What struck me, quite literally, is that the coin did not ring like silver when dropped, and I compared the sound it made to my other Roman Republican denarius. I also grabbed the strongest magnet I had in the house and it was not magnetic. I then did the ice test, and it seemed to melt the ice at a similar speed as a real one, in a side by side comparison. Not satisfied I took it to my LCS where they had a metal analyzer for coins, I also took with me a control coin (another Roman Republic denarius). Both tested above 90% silver content. End result, I have no idea why this one does not ring like silver when dropped. Any ideas? What am I missing? Also note, the surfaces of the coin do seem to indicate age, the ever so slight porosity one might expect from a coin having been buried, and there are some cleaning marks. Also note the small test cut, which showed no base metal within, so I wasn't the first to question this one. Edited by EFLargeCents 04/18/2017 2:38 pm Report this Post to the Staff

echizento Moderator United States 23731 Posts	Posted 04/18/2017 4:26 pm I don't recommend doing a drop test on these coins. I've seen coins shatter even from a small height. I checked the forgery sites and didn't find a match for your coin, It appears genuine to me. It might be that the silver has crystallized a bit which wound prevent the ring. Report this Post to the Staff
louisvillekyshop CCF Advertiser United States 1306 Posts	Posted 04/18/2017 6:14 pm The coin does not have to ring and considering the various mints and possible alloys involved the crystal structure can vary dramatically. Plus always think from the point of view of the potential artist/thief. Where is the profit margin for the level of work needed to make this coin? Looking at the blow up I posted of your coin, it is a clear strike on those letters. So they are not doing something cheap, it would have to be a die. Now notice the aging or what you might call incrustation at the bottom. I am a chemist and I could not reproduce that easily with chemicals. And for what you paid now the artist needs $200 in manpower hours to make the coin and they can't make a surface that genuine easily and then you buy it and they lose money? Bottom line is I'd never worry about this coin it looks great. Report this Post to the Staff
Finn235 Pillar of the Community United States 6130 Posts	Posted 04/18/2017 7:34 pm I thought denarius-sized coins were generally too thick to "pass" the drop test? Report this Post to the Staff
EFLargeCents Pillar of the Community United States 1304 Posts	Posted 04/19/2017 08:15 am Thanks everyone for the comments! Report this Post to the Staff
DavidUK Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 2624 Posts	Posted 04/19/2017 08:39 am First thing I thought was crystalisation... do not drop! I see Echizento got there first. I don't know enough to vouch for it but no alarm bells ringing jist to look at it. Report this Post to the Staff
FVRIVS RVFVS Pillar of the Community United States 3443 Posts	Posted 04/19/2017 11:50 am Republican silver is usually quite pure. Nero debased to 90% which despite his nefarious intent is understood as a good thing and long remained the standard for "good" silver. But traces of other metals are always present and even those Republicans were probably not beyond tossing in a few odds and ends into the crucible to stretch out the silver a wee bit. Five percent extra denarii could make for a nice family summer vacation in Crete ! I imagine that something besides the usual copper could make the alloy a bit dull sounding. A little bit of tin or a dash of lead added might have an effect larger than expected. Did you get a printout of elements from the test ? Report this Post to the Staff
jskirwin Pillar of the Community United States 616 Posts	Posted 04/19/2017 1:23 pm That's a beautiful coin. Very nicely photographed too. Well done EFLargeCents. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 7 / Views: 1,593

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