Fake Coins
READ THIS WELL!: Coins shown on this page are modern fakes made to fool collectors or tourists. They should not be confused with ancient imitations, barbaric copies or other forms of collectable items. The contents of this page will do almost nothing to protect you from fake coins. The ONLY safe way to avoid fakes is to buy from a trustworthy dealer who guarantees his coins FOR LIFE. Fake ancient coins are not really a serious problem and not nearly as prevalent as fakes of modern coins. Do not be afraid to collect coins; collect coins wisely. A few of the major types of obvious fakes are represented on this page. None of these are dangerous IF you arm yourself with a little knowledge and a healthy realization that there are many types, many much more deceptive, not covered on this (or any) page.
We will begin with a fake I find to be particularly painful. I bought it from a respected dealer who should have known better. I was a beginner searching for junk coins in a bargain box at a show. When I handled this coin, the dealer said that it was a rare item. I said "Clodius Albinus". He complimented me and lowered the price to $8 as a reward. When I got home and looked at the coin more carefully I discovered that it was lead painted with copper paint. The next time I saw that dealer at a show, I told him about the coin to hear him reply, "It was still worth what you paid for it." I believe that the dealer did not know he was selling me a bad coin and thought he was being funny with his smart comeback. I did not press him to accept the return but now, years down the road, I buy from him only when I really want the coin and am convinced that it is good. Notes requesting the name of that dealer will be ignored. Don't waste your time asking. What is the moral of this story? Buy coins from dealers you trust.
Our next group of fakes are what are called 'Slaveis' after the man who openly produces them. I have heard that he claims to make replicas for use in jewelry rather than to deceive. Since they are NOT marked as copies and do not have a obverse reverse orientation that would allow both sides to be 'up' when mounted, I am not sure I believe this claim. Some of his coins are better than others, I have heard that his Greek and late Roman are even better but I do not have experience with them (I hope). All of the above are struck on flans thinner than appropriate. All are struck with great force giving sharp detail but none really have proper fine detail in the hair. Most copy rather rare coins. The common Emperors are represented by rare varieties. The Septimius Severus is ordinary except for the bust wearing an aegis; the Trajan Decius is very rare as a denarius. Portraits are all quite recognizable as their subjects but the styles are still just a bit off. I see more of a problem with the coins of the Emperors I know best than with the others so I suspect all are similarly off base to someone who really knows the subject. Reverse figures tend to be proportioned realistically even when the real coins would not have been (especially the Pescennius Niger). All are struck on flans of similar fabric in the same metal. This is rumored to be from melting down old European base silver coins. The first century copies are too base while the Pescennius Niger is much too fine. It is interesting that an attempt was made to duplicate the diameters of the coins with the Augustus being much wider than the later coins. These samples are starting to tone. A little larceny and dirt could make them look much 'better'. The complaint of poor hair detail will be masked if the copies are subjected to natural wear. I strongly suspect that there are people out there with a pocketful of these planning to sell them to you in a few years. Caveat Emptor.
This Gela tetradrachm has been the subject of more inquiries to me than any other 'coin' since I have started this site. This particular copy was produced as an advertisement for a book on Ancient Greece and was sent to thousands of addresses glued to a paper ad. My memory tells me that this was a Reader's Digest book but the correctness of this memory and the date will require confirmation. Please help if you recall this promotion or bought the book they advertised. (Thanks to the friend who sent me a picture of two of these glued to a paper calling them 'golden coins' but not identifying the book. I still need help here.) The copy is clearly stamped 'copy' but many I have seen have been scraped to remove these recessed letters. The item was produced by casting and no effort was made to remove the seams along the edges where the two halves of the mold were joined. Our illustration includes edge images of two examples. The characteristic loss of sharpness and bubbled surface of cast fakes are clear on these coins. About the thickness and diameter of a US quarter, these copies are much too thin for the Gela coins they imitate. The pot metal castings were treated to produce a dark patina. Since the item was clearly marked and circulated as a copy, there can be no fault found with the publisher. Unfortunately, a percentage of these found their way into hands of persons with larceny in mind. They are often seen for sale in antique shops.
I suspect the Widow's mite was produced for a purpose similar to the Gela above. It is clearly marked 'copy' and looks nothing like the average miserable little lepton. In fact it is so good that, if genuine, it would be worth big money. It is too round and too well struck showing too much detail. This copy made no attempt to deceive. It looks like what the original designer had in mind but was not able to realize given the production techniques available to him. These are seen with the 'copy' scraped away and dirtied up a bit but still are too round and bold to be really deceptive.
Only slightly more deceptive is this unmarked cast fake of a denarius of Nero. The 'pot' metal is silvery but not silver. Fuzzy detail and surface pock marks betray the item as a cast. Interestingly, this coin weighs 3.14 g which is the average for real coins of this type. Persons who rely on scales alone to spot fakes will not always be safe. The edge of this coin shows no sign of a casting seam or file marks to remove them. Once upon a time this coin would have fooled me as good. After handling a few thousand denarii, I consider this one obvious. Experience is a great teacher. I do not know the origin of this fake.
Even worse is this tourist grade fake of a denarius of Septimius Severus. Why would anyone go to the trouble of faking a common denarius? This level of fake is sold to tourists by merchants and children in the Mediterranean. The surfaces are badly impaired with casting bubbles and there is an overall fuzziness to the details. The edges bear a weak seam where the two halves of the mold were joined. No effort was made to remove the seam. The metal is not silver but may have either silver or nickel content to give a gray color. A dark patina was applied chemically and the reverse shows a layer of dirt that is missing from the obverse. The fakers put some effort into this coin but poor detail and the seam give it away. It should fool no collector.
Our last fake is actually a fake of a fake. During the Renaissance, ancient coins were quite popular. Fine artists including (but not limited to) Giovanni Cavino (1500-1570) in Padua, Italy, produced medallions copying or inspired by rare ancient originals. As a class these replicas are termed 'Paduans'. Original Cavinos are worth good money as art in their own right. This is a cast replica of a Paduan original. Like other casts the detail is fuzzy with some bubbles seen on the surface. This coin has been tooled lightly to smooth the fields but the lack of crisp detail is obvious in the letters. The edge seam was removed and replaced with a fine stipple which looks better than the usual coarse file marks but still is not really deceptive. At 34mm, this copy is smaller than a genuine medallion of this period (usually about 40mm). Still it is an attractive item and frequently sold to the unsuspecting. A genuine medallion in this condition would be worth thousands of dollars. Collectors need to be wary of bargain medallions with poor detail and 'funny' edges.
Our little survey of a few fakes was intended to be entertaining. After reading it, anyone who feels protected from buying fakes is simply a fool. Over 99% of ancient coins offered on the market are actually ancient. Some are ancient fakes, another subject altogether. I have posted pages on this site discussing some of them and consider them very collectable. Considering the 1% that are not ancient: Experience gained by handling thousands of coins will protect you from 99% of coin fakes. That 1% of the 1% will still fool many of us much of the time. Handling many coins will help the beginner learn the characteristics to expected or avoided. Attending shows where ancient coins are sold is a good opportunity to see and handle coins. Joining an ancient coin club and taking every opportunity to talk to other collectors are both good ideas. Comparing notes about dealers at a club can be very worthwhile. May I repeat: The best protection from fake coins is to buy only from a trusted dealer who offers a lifetime guarantee for refund if a coin is discovered to be fake. Unfortunately there are a few dealers who try to make their product look better by casting doubts on coins purchased from other sources. Time spent talking to dealers will teach you as much about that dealer as about the coins they sell. On the other hand, 99% of ancient coins offered to tourists by rustic locals in the Mediterranean are fakes. In some countries it is illegal to sell a genuine ancient coin but fooling a tourist is almost a national sport. Who said: "A fool and his money are soon parted"?
(c) 1998 Doug Smith
