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 Replies: 10 / Views: 1,166 |
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Valued Member
United States
219 Posts |
Roman Empire, Maximian, AE Follis, Heraclea, RIC VI 12b, 9.87g, 28.5mm I'm not sure about the grade/potential value of this one. All the details are there...so I'm thinking AU/UNC? Thoughts? I appreciate the input in advance! Sorry about the poor lighting and pictures.  
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Valued Member
 United States
219 Posts |
The pictures don't show it, but the original silvered layer appears to be intact.
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
Very nice looking with sharp detail and and excellent strike.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3443 Posts |
I suppose it is the lighting you used but the surfaces look very coppery. Everything else about the coin looks good but the surfaces ....... look too good. From this photo I would be unwilling to spend much money.
It has the "look" of a recent manufacture.
I will not condemn it ...... but I am unable to endorse it either.
No insult intended !
Try using natural light. Perhaps the copper look will not be so overwhelming.
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Valued Member
United States
219 Posts |
Thanks for the input, and no worries I really appreciate all opinions be they good news or bad news! Here are pictures with the lighting much more toned down. In hand, the color is more grayish-brown which I think is due to the silvered layer being intact.   |
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Valued Member
United States
253 Posts |
Hi Matt- You have an excellent coin! Keep it! I would grade the strike at 5/5. Surfaces at 4/5- depending on the actual true toning. The coin looks cleaned. Most ancients are "cleaned" or "preserved" but this one looks overly cleaned from the pictures. A better picture of its true colors might help. To obtain MS you need close to original silvering or obvious original silvering toning. I am not an official grader but in my opinion this is a super nice coin. Here is an obverse pic of mine-  |
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Valued Member
United States
219 Posts |
Thanks for your input pendrak I appreciate the insight!
Edited by Matt2727
01/17/2018 11:43 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3443 Posts |
Something about this coin troubles me.
The very latest die cutting techniques are being used by counterfeiters these days.
We might explain that the coin has been harshly cleaned. But if so the silvering would have likely have been scrubbed away or dissolved by chemicals.
There are two features which seem to be 'different' for Heraclea.
The ear and the left foot of the Genius look to me to be "off".
Of course if the coin had a heavy patination I would not think twice !
But it doesn't
And I am thinking twice ......
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3443 Posts |
BTW
What was the source/country of origin ?
If you say Serbia I would not be very shocked.
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Valued Member
United States
219 Posts |
I don't know the specific country the coin pertains from, but I purchased this coin from a reputable ancient coin dealer as part of a group of coins.
The weight of the coin seems to be right. Before this I wasn't questioning its authenticity, but again I appreciate your insight. There seems to have been different dies used to strike this particular variety, maybe that could be the cause of your suspicion?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3443 Posts |
What bothers me most is that it has a very "new" look about it. Like it was manufactured last year ! In the past few years we have seen quite a few struck fakes coming out of Eastern Europe. Particularly out of Serbia and Bulgaria. Not too long ago I spied this listing https://www.ebay.com/itm/282747401658 Someone selling steel dies ! Now we know they aren't genuine Roman coin dies. But someone did go to a great deal of bother to make them. I am sure they got some use out of them before they ended up on ebay. Many of these sources used the very selling technique you have just described. Salting them into lots with genuine ancient coins. Your coin may well be ancient But I can't be sure about it. I would call it 50/50 at best. |
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Replies: 10 / Views: 1,166 |
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Posted 01/15/2018 7:38 pm
