The size of the coins vary considerable due to imperfect Roman flan production methods, but Roman die cutting was more careful with the beaded border of the aureus dies 19 to 19.5 mm across and denarii dies 18. London (1987). Cookies help us deliver our Services. The emperor and his family are one type of coin theme. It's a bit like 'common sense', most people think they have it, even those that have none at all. Forgeries of ancient Roman and Greek coins offered for sale on a large scale on the internet! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This page is dedicated to educate and warn people about counterfeit ancient coins offered through the internet, and to acquaint them with the appearance of these coins in order to distinguish them from the genuine ancient coins. And just because something is normally low value, does not mean its safe on ebay. From Anthemius to Romulus Augustulus, they are always from these countries. The lack of a sestertius from this ruler left a gap in many collections, and Cavino filled it, by copying the design of a rare denarius with a left-facing bust (on most of his coins Otho faces right). 0 bids. How do you know a dealer is “reputable”? _______________________________________________________________________, Counterfeits are almost as old as coinage, International Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN), https://coinreplicas.com/about/peter-rosa-biography/, https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/rulemaking-regulatory-reform-proceedings/hobby-protection-act, https://www.coinweek.com/coin-clubs/legislation-icta/collectible-coin-protection-act-unanimously-passed/, PCGS Grades Fantastic Gold 5 Rubles Russian Coin, Pease Collection Paper Money, Colonial Copper at Heritage Auctions, Heritage Offers Cid-Pulido Collection of Spanish Banknotes in FUN Auction, Classic US Gold Coins: What’s Hot and What’s Not – 2021 Edition, CoinWeek Podcast #146: Harriet Tubman Considered, Perth Mint Offers 2021 Year of the Ox Antiqued 2oz Silver Coin, ANA College Scholarships Available to Young Collectors, Zoom Video Presentation: Travels in Judea and Samaria: Coins & Etc. Time left 6d 6h left. To participate in the forum you must log in or register. At the end of the day you either know enough to pass judgement on the coins themselves or you don't and if you don't you're probably gonna get burned shopping on eBay. While they contained precious metals, the value of a coin was higher than its precious metal content, so they were not bullion. There are categories for you to explore on the left side, along with links to Sale items and more which will make it easy for you to find anything. Welcome. Has a sign in page but you can use it without an account. C $1.26. If you know of other pages that should be included here, please let me know. United Kingdom. Some old Roman coins have the emperor on one side and his family on the other side. Tantalus Coins A listed of some fake late Roman coins. David Hendin’s book Not Kosher (2005). actually I decided to not sell on eBay but on other reputed websites as with lot of real coins sellers, some fake coin sellers decide coin price on eBay and thus average price for good coins on eBay is lot less when compared to other sites like HA.com . **, Press J to jump to the feed. These are easily distinguished from the originals. Ebay does nothing to remove these sellers so be aware! I bought from a seller who exactly had his location set as "Europe" but when the package arrived, I could see the return address was in Serbia. To help collectors and dealers identify counterfeit coins, NGC has prepared lists of the most commonly counterfeited US, Chinese and world coins with diagnostic information and images from NGC’s extensive database, as well as commentary from the NGC coin grading team. You could also pick one god or goddess to focus on collecting. 2020 © DISCLAIMER: All content within CoinWeek.com is presented for informational purposes only, with no guarantee of accuracy. Another benefit of Roman provincial coins is that they feature portraits of the imperial family which are otherwise not present on Roman Imperial coins. CoinVac A database of several thousand fakes, mostly sold on eBay over the years. Ancient Greek coins are some of the oldest, dating from 800 B.C. Online resources. The amount of forged coins on eBay seems to be growing substantially. Dealers worry that fear of fakes will scare off potential collectors. These are the kind of PSAs that the internet runs on. Not Kosher: Forgeries of Ancient Jewish and Biblical Coins. Whether, cast, struck or plated, such fakes are still ancient coins, and many are quite collectable today. IN A NUTSHELL: Counterfeit coins are an unavoidable reality in the numismatic marketplace, particularly with ancient coins though with modern coins as well. But unfortunately most people can't tell they don't know enough. When the demand exceeded the supply, fakers were quick to exploit the opportunity. Top 25 Counterfeit World Coins. “Some people differentiate between the terms “counterfeit” and “forgery”, using “counterfeit” to refer to fakes created to circulate and “forgery” to refer to fakes created to deceive collectors.”. London (1924), Innes, Brian. to 476 A.D. and include Roman Republic and Roman Imperial coins, the latter of which changed based on the emperor at the time. For Western Countermarks on official Roman coins and their Imitations: Rodolfo Martini, "Nomismata 6: The Pangerl Collection of Julio-Claudian Countermarked Coins ( Augustus-Vespasian)" ca. 106 Posts. A lot of fakes and "reproductions" have been made (especially in the Middle East, Bulgaria, and China) and "coins" sold to innocent tourists abroad are often fake. Berkeley (1990), Lawrence, Richard H. Medals by Giovanni Cavino, The “Paduan”. I cannot believe with their large network of employees that they do not police the activity. THE OFFICIAL 2021 MEGA RED BOOK DELUXE EDITION, LIGHTHOUSE INTERCEPT SHIELD DOUBLE ROW SLAB BOX, PROFESSIONAL LARGE TABLE TOP SCALE (4000 X .1 G), LIGHTHOUSE HIGH PERFORMANCE DIGITAL MICROSCOPE, BCW TOPLOAD HOLDERS -- LARGE CURRENCY -- PACK OF 25, Collector's Assistant - World , Ancient, US and Paper, HEAVY DUTY DOUBLE ROW SLAB/CROWN BOX (10 INCH), PLEASURE AND PROFIT: 100 LESSONS FOR BUILDING AND SELLING A COLLECTION OF RARE COINS, LIGHTHOUSE COIN CLEANING FLUID FOR ALL COINS. Becker fakes frequently appear (correctly attributed as fakes) in European auctions. Over the course of three decades, he produced many hundreds of different coin dies; some 331 were acquired by the American Numismatic Society (ANS). He simulated wear on his coins by packing them in a box of iron filings attached to the axle of his carriage. The legal status of these products appears to be uncertain. FOR CLASSICAL NUMISMATISTS any discussion of fake ancient coins is… a delicate subject. Cavino’s coins were struck from finely engraved dies, some of which still survive in a Paris museum. I’m just pointing out a trend I have noticed and personally will not be buying from sellers with said locations listed. Fake Ancient Coins by Mike Markowitz for CoinWeek ….. “To declare that a forged coin is genuine is a mistake, but to declare that a genuine coin is a forgery is a crime.”. Top 25 Counterfeit Chinese Coins. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. This eBay store specializes in Ancient Greek Roman Biblical Byzantine and Medieval Coins. Becker always insisted that his work was not intended to defraud collectors, but only to make great works of numismatic art available to collectors of modest means. In 1955 doing business as the “Becker Manufacturing Company” he began selling reproductions of ancient coins and Becker’s fakes. Fakes and Forgeries: The True Crime Stories of History’s Greatest Deceptions. In 1824, the Austrian Imperial Coin Cabinet in Vienna acquired Becker’s dies, and a detailed catalog of his work was published a century later (Hill, 1924). The most famous coin artist of this era was Giovanni Cavino (c. 1499-1570) of Padua. Fake Roman Coins has 560 members. If coin collectors would follow these five simple steps, not only would they not get saddled with fakes, they'd help put the counterfeiters out of business! Top 50 Counterfeit US Coins . [2] http://counterfeitcoins.reidgold.com/, [4] https://coinreplicas.com/about/peter-rosa-biography/, [5] https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/rulemaking-regulatory-reform-proceedings/hobby-protection-act, [6] https://www.coinweek.com/coin-clubs/legislation-icta/collectible-coin-protection-act-unanimously-passed/, Golenko, Konstantin V. “The Method of Counterfeiting Ancient Coins of the Bosporous by M. Sazonov, as Told by Himself”, ANS Museum Notes 20 (1975), Hendin, David. Ebay is only "safe" if you know what you're doing. Free shipping. Sellers from these countries have consistantly been churning out fakes. I think the better advice, rather than targeting sellers from specific (or not so specific) countries, is to not buy off eBay unless you can spot a fake. Sellers will also put “Europe”, “Evrope”, or “Evropa” as there location. Hi! Peter Rosa (1926-1990) was born in New York City, where he lived most of his life[4]. I acquired this item from eBay in April 2008 from a seller who only described it as "Silver Roman Coin". Some of Cavino’s best-known coins were “fantasies” – designs that never appeared on any ancient coin, such as his “sestertius” of Otho, who never issued this denomination. But others were overstruck on worn ancient coins of low value, so the metal is actually authentic. These roman coins come in various denominations, from the small as to the major denarius many of which feature the bust of the ruling emperor when the coin was first struck in history. Valued Member. This frauds must be exposed and the unsuspecting buyers warned! Get great deals on eBay! In the eternal war between forger and authenticator, the good guys still hold the advantage. I know dealers who have purchased genuine ancient coins for remarkably low prices on eBay, but they knew exactly what they were doing. Buying coins, especially sight-unseen online, can be harmful to your wallet if you can’t trust the source. Many of Becker’s fakes were struck in tin or “white metal” (an alloy of tin, lead, antimony and other metals in variable proportions). The Art of Deception. Buy coins that have been encapsulated by a third-party grader; Be skeptical of buying a coin that seems like too good of a deal. He worked briefly for a metal stamping and casting firm, but he was mainly self-taught, learning die making and metallurgy from books and through trial and error (Sayles, 5). If you can't spot a fake, avoiding Serbian sellers on eBay will only do you so much good. Many “ancient” coins offered for sale on eBay are deceptive fakes, particularly Roman denarii. C $81.54. Collectible coins of Imperial Rome tell us about the emperors and the economic conditions of their times. The altering of a Roman coin by a countermark, sometimes referred to as a counterstamp, was usually done to change its legal status, its area of circulation or its value. Museum of Roman Countermarks and Counterstamps on Coins. or Best Offer. eBay; Coins; Coins; Ancient; Roman; Silver Ancient Roman Coins; Skip to page navigation. But when worn, scratched and artfully patinated, Rosa’s reproductions can look convincing to beginners. I thought Id share this info with anyone who browses there. Thanks for the sweet tip. I've seen plenty of fakes from sellers in Britain, Spain, Germany, Canada and even the United States. Even the most obvious fakes can easily fool anyone who is not a trained expert. Top Rated Seller Top Rated Seller. Collectors worry that the prevalence of fakes could depress the value of their coins. Next Page | Last 15 Replies . ROMAN COINS: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION by Richard Baker During the many years that Rome ruled the Mediterranean World, a number of Roman coins were countermarked by various governing authorities and even by usurpers. These fakers only list a dubiously listed continent so you cant tell where its coming from. I've also bought coins that are absolutely genuine from many countries that you and others would associate with fakes. Agreed. A fake coin often looks too clean to be 2,000 years old. Most of the time, you probably can’t. The Roman currency during most of the Roman Republic and the western half of the Roman Empire consisted of coins including the aureus, the denarius, the sestertius, the dupondius, and the as. **PLEASE HELP US HELP YOU BY POSTING PHOTOS OF BOTH SIDES OF EACH COIN** and preferably photos of its edge as well. From Russian Federation. Author : Replies: 24 / Views: 1,937: Page: of 2 FuzzyDuck. So just to clarify, we should never buy from any seller from this half of the world? group, now at https://groups.io/g/CFDL/messages). I bought a fourée denarius of Crispina and a Roman lead seal (both genuine) along with a half siliqua of Maximus of Spain (I assume it to be fake since they are so rare, though I can't say for sure). Sofia (1997), Prokopov, Ilya S. and E. Paunov. Many “ancient” coins offered for sale on eBay are deceptive fakes, particularly Roman denarii. CoinWeek Supplies Highlights _______________________________________________________________________. The Byzantine Empire spanned from 330 to 1204 A.D. and again from 1261 to 1453 A.D. Most of these coins are very rare and never come to market often. A good rule to remember is that if a deal seems too good to be true, it is very probably neither good nor true. Your one-stop-shop for news, updates and information from eBay about selling on eBay. Modern Counterfeits and Replicas of Ancient Greek and Roman Coins from Bulgaria. So, in conclusion, Greek Imperial or Roman Provincial coins made an amazing addition and make any ancient Roman coin … After the war he worked in the Merchant Marine and often visited London, where he began collecting casts of magnificent ancient coins in the British Museum. Otho ruled only from 15 January to 16 April 69 CE – the “Year of Four Emperors”. Iola, WI (2001), Sear, David. I have eBay searches running on late west roman coins. Filter (1) Silver Ancient Roman Coins. Most deceptive fakes of ancient coins originate in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, but there is growing concern that East Asian counterfeiters may be entering the business as well. There is no short cut and no substitute. Revised Dec. 27, 2020. Modern fakes, on the other hand, are usually worthless, unless they are precious metal with some melt value, or examples of the work of famous forgers of the Renaissance and early modern eras. 310 pages, including 24 plates, reproducing 352 coins, in Italian with extensive English summary, ISBN 88-87235-29-5 - The first systematic … Any serious collector of Byzantine coins probably already owns David Sears’ indispensible handbook Byzantine Coins and Their Values (1987), but would be well advised to consult the 33-page appendix on “Forgeries of Byzantine Coins from the ‘Beirut’ and Other ‘Schools.’”. Stay away! Sofia (2015), Prokopov, Ilya S., Kissyov, K. and E. Paunov. Fake Greek And Roman Silver Coins On Ebay. I agree. I have yet to see an authentic coin from these countries come to market. Minerva, Mars, Venus, and Cybelle are some ideas of gods and goddesses you can collect. (1967-1990). Must Read: Collecting Fake Coins Im not saying dont but from Europe, Im saying dont buy from a seller who only lists Europe as their location, New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the AncientCoins community, A place to show off and discuss ancient and medieval coins from around the world, as well as to post links to articles and other references about them. Sofia (2004), Sayles, Wayne G. Classical Deception: Counterfeits, Forgeries and Reproductions of Ancient Coins. **PLEASE DON'T MAKE MORE THAN ONE POST PER COIN OR GROUP OF COINS, use an imgur album. Just about every type of common-ish bronze coin is now in circulation as a fake. 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