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 Replies: 15 / Views: 1,426 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
To weigh or not to weigh, that is the question. In previous threads the topic of weight has risen over and over again. I do not own a scale to weigh my coins, but I'm beginning to see that I might need to purchase one of these scales. However, where do I find weights of the original coins. I have several books, but none disclose weights. Any suggestions?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4846 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4253 Posts |
Thanks for the link Adam_E, but I collect only Ancients. Any measures for them?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4846 Posts |
ah, sorry, no.
I'm not an ancient collector
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
Thanks anyway Adam_E. Nice to know members are watching and responding.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1081 Posts |
I own a few silver denarii and the issue with weight is that they are almost always different mainly due to the process they used to mint the coins. Now, there are ranges that you can use to help narrow down authenticity, but it's more difficult with ancients.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
I may be way off the mark, but I believe the Romans had certain weight criteria, eg, most denarius weighed approximately 3.2 grams. Even so, I'm sure there were some variance, especially with provincial coins. All that being said, there must be some source to consult.
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Moderator
 Australia
16849 Posts |
When I need to check weights, I usually check the data on Wildwinds. Even if the exact type of the coin I'm looking for isn't there, several similar coins should be. I always check several coins, to see how much weight variance there is for the type. 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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Valued Member
United States
132 Posts |
Hope this helps...from Van Meter. I have been posting the weight on my ancient coin auctions for about 6 months now.
Roman Coin Denominations, c. 1 A.D.
Aureus...............25.0 Denarii.........Gold..............7.85g.................20mm
Quinarius.........12.5 Denarii.........Gold..............4.00g.................15mm
Denarius...........16 Asses................Silver............3.80g.................19mm
Quintarius..........8 Asses................Silver............2.00g.................15mm
Sesterius..............4 Asses................Brass............25-30g...............25-35mm
Dupondis............2 Asses................Brass............12.00g...............28mm
As.....................(Basic Unit).............Copper.........11g....................24-28mm
Semis.....................1/2 As................Brass.............3-4g...................18mm
Quadrans.............1/4 As...............Copper..........3.0g...................15mm
Notes: During the reign of Nero, the Aureus and the Denarius were reduced in weight to 7.2 and 3.2 grams, respectively, and continued to decline.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
Thanks aboarman for the weights. However, how important is it to weigh coins. I mean, with the passage of time and the elements, wouldn't most ancient coins lose weight and thus make weighing coins meaningless? I suppose if its close one can say it may be real, but I would hazard a guess that counterfeiters make their coins weigh very close to the originals.
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Valued Member
United States
132 Posts |
Oh, absolutely, jwharper - coins will definitely lose weight over time. I mostly use weight less as a check for authentication and more as a check for how well the coin has held up. As an example, I've just restored a late-period AE that measures a mere 15mm, but weighs in at a hefty 2.85 grams - nearly twice the weight of a typical coin of that size. To behold this coin is a much different experience, and for me, adds to the coin's appeal. Thanks for an interesting thread  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
860 Posts |
Several sources list weights for specific coins, but few list the variance. I am also not a collector of ancients, although I do have a few scattered in my holdings. For my example I use the a general Lincoln Cent, not the 1943 zinc/steel or the post 1982 copper/zinc. The weight is listed as 3.11 grams, but the variation is usually not. For this coin Breen give the weight as 3.11 +/- 0.13 grams. So a true coin could weigh from 2.98 grams to 3.24 grams. Thus a found coin weighing 3.22 grams could be OK. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
I am so glad I have join this forum. As I was telling another collector just this morning, I have learned a great deal just in the short time I have been on this forum. Its a God send for me.
I am still having trouble understanding why it is important to weigh these coins. With the variances described, it would seem useless to know the weight for any identification of the coin. Plus the expense of having the scale. I can see why a person might want to know for the collector inside of all of us, but I can't see it for any other reason.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2838 Posts |
Its just another tool in the arsenal for spotting fakes. You do have a valid point in your statement that: Quote:
..with the passage of time and the elements, wouldn't most ancient coins lose weight and thus make weighing coins meaningless? Certainly weighing an ancient is going to be less useful than weighing an MS70 modern coin and comparing to the recorded standard but in some cases an unexpected result can steer you towards deciding fake rather than real. I rarely resort to scales to spot fakes - I do though have 5 rules I stick to religiously. 1, If the deal looks too good to be true ($$$s) it probably is - no such thing as a free lunch in this world. 2, Trust the seller more than the coin - ask them questions if need be, most fake sellers know very little about the hobby. 3, Look at other examples of the same coin before part with your hard earned cash, compare styles. 4, I keep away from very high quality coins, they make me very suspicious, I prefer to see a bit of honest wear. 5, If its going to cost me $150+ on ebay then I'd rather spend double and buy the same coin in person from a 'proper' dealers shop. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
860 Posts |
But, even considering the variances, it can be important as a tool to distinguish fakes, such as a copper plated 1943 zinc steel cent. However, I suspect finances often eliminate it for many who would rather have a coin instead This is also true for even plastic calipers to do accurate measurements of the size of the coin or paper. I use my loupe, stereo microscope, scale, caliper, probably in this order most often.
Jim
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
I like your rules and plan to strive to stick to the same. BUT, there are times I get caught up in the moment and that's when I make my biggest mistakes. I have purchased coins in the past thinking "they have no idea what they are selling for so cheap". Yeah, right. There must be a lot of money to be made in selling fakes, even cheap ones. Oh well, a person must be diligent. As for weighing, I think I will get a scale just for my own satisfaction, but not for any real verification process.
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Replies: 15 / Views: 1,426 |
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Posted 07/17/2011 09:12 am
