Old Looking Coin

Hello and welcome.

Unfortunately, this is a cast replica of an ancient Roman coin. A particularly famous ancient Roman coin too: a denarius of Roman emperor Tiberius, also known as a "tribute penny" because of a direct reference to it in the Bible (the "render unto Caesar" passages).

As a "biblical coin", they are very popular with collectors; genuine examples can cost hundreds of dollars. Unfortunately, it also means they are very popular with replica-makers and counterfeiters. Copies identical to yours can be found here and here in the FORVM fakes database.

Unfortunately, these particular coins have been copied for so long, and by so many different people, that compiling a comprehensive list of fakes and replicas would be impossible. Not finding a coin on a fakes database like the one at FORVM is a good start, but by no means would it be assurance of authenticity.

The best insurance is experience. For me, for this particular coin, what stood out first was what appears to be a distinct rim around the obverse. In my experience I've never seen a genuine ancient Roman coin that had a rim like that, but I have seen it on cast copies of ancient coins. That prompted my initial suspicions and made me look for similar coins on FORVM.

While you're waiting to gain the experience yourself, I'd recommend only buying your coins from an experienced, trusted dealer with a good reputation for spotting and not selling fakes, and who offers an "eternal money-back guarantee" if you ever find out that a coin you bought off them is fake. Definitely stay away from ebay.

Thanks for the advice, Sap. I'll definitely stay away from ebay.