My Mystery File (Literally!!!) - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 6 / Views: 2,071
Sap Moderator Australia 16849 Posts	Posted 12/19/2006 07:36 am I bought this coin off a local dealer back in 2001 as unidentified "Greek Imperial, 3-4th century AD". I only paid a few bucks for it, and its only just now that I've bothered to take it out of the 2x2 it was ensconced in to give it a proper look-over. To my astonishment, I find the edge has been filed! Not just a little bit, to test the metal - from 1 o'clock on the reverse right round to 10 o'clock - fully 3/4 of the edge is bright shiny copper! You can clearly see it on the scans: I'm also putting this post in the fakes section on FORVM, because the only logical reason I can think of for doing this is to remove evidence of forgery. Though even that's not a very good reason - bright shiny copper is a bit of a giveaway, too. Moral of this story: ALWAYS take it out of the 2x2! 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 Report this Post to the Staff

CarlTromp Valued Member Netherlands 309 Posts	Posted 12/19/2006 07:54 am Sap?, maybee you rember in my A to.... list, Becker - Carl Wilhelm (1772-1830) a very well known coin falser, he reproduced antique coins in large sums, the coins look even too perfect and are very hard to define from the original. His working period was from 1815-1825, many of his dies are shown in the Berlin Coin and token cabinet. Greetings, Carl Report this Post to the Staff
Sap Moderator Australia 16849 Posts	Posted 12/19/2006 08:30 am We're talking shiny copper edge, here. A recent job. Well, the doctoring is recent, anyway. Becker normally went for the flash, grandiose, high-end coins, tetradrachms and so forth - not tiny coppers like this. If this one's fake, it's likely a modern "tourist fake" like you pick up in the Middle East all the time. 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 Report this Post to the Staff
amac44 Member United States 3242 Posts	Posted 12/19/2006 08:47 am quote: Originally posted by Sap I bought this coin off a local dealer back in 2001 as unidentified "Greek Imperial, 3-4th century AD". I only paid a few bucks for it, and its only just now that I've bothered to take it out of the 2x2 it was ensconced in to give it a proper look-over. To my astonishment, I find the edge has been filed! Not just a little bit, to test the metal - from 1 o'clock on the reverse right round to 10 o'clock - fully 3/4 of the edge is bright shiny copper! You can clearly see it on the scans: I'm also putting this post in the fakes section on FORVM, because the only logical reason I can think of for doing this is to remove evidence of forgery. Though even that's not a very good reason - bright shiny copper is a bit of a giveaway, too. Moral of this story: ALWAYS take it out of the 2x2! Thanks for posting this it has help us know more about old coins and the scams that are out there!!!!! Report this Post to the Staff
pattiewhack Pillar of the Community Canada 1152 Posts	Posted 12/24/2006 10:30 pm Yes, it is good to know what scams there are and who is out to make a quick buck! Report this Post to the Staff
scoutjim99 Pillar of the Community United States 4589 Posts	Posted 12/24/2006 11:46 pm I now worry about the coins I brought back from the Middle EAst for this reason, Thank's SAP for the info Report this Post to the Staff
Sap Moderator Australia 16849 Posts	Posted 12/25/2006 04:16 am Consensus so far of the experts on FORVM seems to be that the coin is probably genuine, but they don't know why the edge has been abused like that. Best guess is it was once mounted as jewellery of some kind, and was cut out of its mount by the finder. 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 Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 6 / Views: 2,071

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