An ancient coin attribution needed

[Volos]

The coin was found in Moldova (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldova) by my colleague, accompanied by several other silvers of Hadrian, Markus Aurelius and a Faustina II's sestertius. Could anyone help with its attribution, please? With catalogue references and desirably with examples? I cannot read the legend either. Could it be a barbarian immitation?
2,74 g
1,8 cm
The pic is the only one available

Thank you!

 

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[CRUSADER]

The coin was found in Moldova (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldova) by my colleague, accompanied by several other silvers of Hadrian, Markus Aurelius and a Faustina II's sestertius. Could anyone help with its attribution, please? With catalogue references and desirably with examples? I cannot read the legend either. Could it be a barbarian immitation?
Unfortunately I cannot give a weight of the coin at the moment and the pic is the only one available

Thank you!

I think your right, the legend is nonsense, so I guess immitation as well. (unless its some sort of Eastern mint which I can't read??)

 

[Mackaydon]

Agreed; unless someone can explain a backwards 'gamma' letter on the obverse.

 

[Volos]

Well, thanks guys! Appreciateyour opinions!

Agreed; unless someone can explain a backwards 'gamma' letter on the obverse.

Could it be a die defect?

 

[diggerfororo]

I think that I would agree with the imitation. This coin seems to have a reverse of "Annona" (corn harvest) with ears of corn in right hand and cornucopiae in left hand. The obverse has a likeness to "Antoninus Pius" (AD-138-161)

Les

 

[Montana Jim]

Great link to several (other) fake ANTONINUS PIUS coins... tried to match yours there and could'nt...

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/thumbnails.php?album=2&page=3

 

[Volos]

Here's a little bit bigger picture:

The legend on the obverse seems to be AVIISNVA)VC/PCRITRPXVH
Suppose it well can be a domestic imitation produced by a local "moneyer" (or a craftsman? ) of what is now known as a Chernyakhovskaya archaeological culture (covered modern Ukraine, Moldova and Romania in the 2nd through 4th centuries AD; commonly called by historians as Goths). As a prototype to this coin there might'd been taken this issue of Antoninus Pius with Pax on the reverse (RIC153):

A question arose: does a meaning "imitation" equal "fake"?

 

[CRUSADER]

A question arose: does a meaning "imitation" equal "fake"?

I call imitations fakes but they are ancient ones & not modern.

 

[IronSpike]

I agree it's an Antoninus Pius imitation.

Did find a copper AP coin, which was very similar in design but legend no match (I'll see if I can relocate pic).

 

[Volos]

Thanks everyone!

 

[CRUSADER]

Thanks everyone!

I still think imitation, but it is one of the better ones I have seen. I guess it must have a copper core, as the silver content looks good quality. Its a true collectors piece

 

[Oroblanco]

HOLA amigos,
Crusader wrote

I call imitations fakes but they are ancient ones & not modern.

You are sure welcome to call them what you will, and perhaps you have it right - but it is equally possible that such "imitations" were not intended to be "fakes" as they were struck for use in circulation by the local authorities of the time. It would then be more correct to refer to them as "Imitative Issues" rather than "Imitations" which has a more negative implication. Many of the "imitative" coppers as you probably well know, commonly referred to as "Limes" were often made by "barbarians" not as some kind of counterfeits but for local use. If this example is a local imitative issue, it is a very good one IMHO - some look considerably more crude. This example may well be an authentic Roman coin, and we cannot judge it by a few blundered letters for such examples of blundered legends are well known. I don't have my ref books handy or would venture a more specific guess on this coin. I own a Gallic imitative drachm of a Greek coin I wish I could post a photo of for side-by-side comparison of the level of artistic work on the portrait, sometimes these "imitative" issues had quite good engraving work, if often with blundered and - or garbled (or even missing) lettering.

For that matter, many British coins were struck in imitative style of ancient Roman and Greek coins, so would you want to call them "imitations"? It is much the same case - the coins were struck in imitation of the style and design of the foreign coins, not as some kind of counterfeits.

A very COOL coin to find, congrats!
Oroblanco

 

[CRUSADER]

HOLA amigos,
Crusader wrote

I call imitations fakes but they are ancient ones & not modern.

You are sure welcome to call them what you will, and perhaps you have it right - but it is equally possible that such "imitations" were not intended to be "fakes" as they were struck for use in circulation by the local authorities of the time. It would then be more correct to refer to them as "Imitative Issues" rather than "Imitations" which has a more negative implication. Many of the "imitative" coppers as you probably well know, commonly referred to as "Limes" were often made by "barbarians" not as some kind of counterfeits but for local use. If this example is a local imitative issue, it is a very good one IMHO - some look considerably more crude. This example may well be an authentic Roman coin, and we cannot judge it by a few blundered letters for such examples of blundered legends are well known. I don't have my ref books handy or would venture a more specific guess on this coin. I own a Gallic imitative drachm of a Greek coin I wish I could post a photo of for side-by-side comparison of the level of artistic work on the portrait, sometimes these "imitative" issues had quite good engraving work, if often with blundered and - or garbled (or even missing) lettering.

For that matter, many British coins were struck in imitative style of ancient Roman and Greek coins, so would you want to call them "imitations"? It is much the same case - the coins were struck in imitation of the style and design of the foreign coins, not as some kind of counterfeits.

A very COOL coin to find, congrats!
Oroblanco

Totally understand that. It was more a flippart remark, I sometimes call them imitations, & when speaking quickly Fakes. Local imitations are difficult to tell apart from some counterfeits.

I too think, if imitation its a very good one. I also think it maybe Greek origin or some other lanauge.

 

[Volos]

Many thanks to Oroblanco! Totally agree with you point of view.

And here is another outstanding find made by our colleague in Ukraine. Just to encourage you guys – there is still a lot of stuff left down there waiting for your shovel to dig it up. Be careful with your shovels though – look (at the reverse of the coin) how you can merely destroy such a marvelous piece!
So it’s again an imitative issue struck in gold. The 1st pic was made immediately after digging it out to the daylight:

And here it’s a little bit later (after some field-cleaning):


Any ideas of which an original coin was imitated?

Not for sale!

 

[Silver Searcher]

Here's a little bit bigger picture:

The legend on the obverse seems to be AVIISNVA(backwards C)VC/PCRITRPXVH
Suppose it well can be a domestic imitation produced by a local "moneyer" (or a craftsman? ) of what is now known as a Chernyakhovskaya archaeological culture (covered modern Ukraine, Moldova and Romania in the 2nd through 4th centuries AD; commonly called by historians as Goths). As a prototype to this coin there might'd been taken this issue of Antoninus Pius with Pax on the reverse: http://wildwinds.com/coins/ric/antoninus_pius/RIC_0153.1.jpg

A question arose: does a meaning "imitation" equal "fake"?

Volos...

I think the reverse of your coin is infact Concordia standing left holding patera and cornucopia, but the Obverse is a mystery

I have added a picture of Faustina with the same reverse

SS