Ancient Real or Fake?

[snizzard]

My mom found this walking on a beach. I think its a fake.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Spanish Reale or Fake

I dont know what it is, but its not a Spanish Reale. Looks like an ancient.

 

[IronSpike]

Re: Spanish Reale or Fake

Numbers above the lion?

 

[lostcauses]

Re: Spanish Reale or Fake

You should most likely change the title of your post to what is this coin.
Not Spanish, and as already stated could be very old if real.
Where was if found? (what country state, etc)

 

[snizzard]

I thought reale because of the R that the guys sitting on. It was found on a beach in Rhode Island, USA about 20 years ago.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

You didnt need to change the title or keep deleting or modifying. Just respond as you go along. . Or maybe you should ask is it reale or real? I doubt that its Spanish. You never know what can be found on the beach. This isnt the first time someone lost their coin collection. I suspect a modern copy. Welcome to TN. Someone will help.

 

[One mans trash...]

Seems odd. The theme is pretty common in ancient coins, but this one just doesn't seem to fit in, like the styles are wildly mixed. Everything seems so heavy. Maybe that indicates an attempt to simulate an ancient such as:

 

[IronSpike]

Around the person's neck and back is the brown color copper showing indicating coin is silver plated ancient fake?

This link (half way) shows a similar design 'ancient counterfit' Seluekos I lion tetradrachm.

http://rg.ancients.info/fourees/other_fourrees.html

 

[snizzard]

I used a tooth pick and removed that copper color, it was dirt.

 

[IronSpike]

Not an exact match, but this coin (26th from top) silver stater struck under satrap mazaios looks very similar. It also appears to have the same markings above lion and behind person.

http://animalsonancientcoins.com/

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Not an exact match, but this coin (26th from top) silver stater struck under satrap mazaios looks very similar. It also appears to have the same markings above lion and behind person.

http://animalsonancientcoins.com/

Good research. My guess would be that this is a replica copy of this original. But I dont know ancients. Have you tested it to see if its silver?
Are there mold seams on the edges?

 

[DCMatt]

Not an exact match, but this coin (26th from top) silver stater struck under satrap mazaios looks very similar. It also appears to have the same markings above lion and behind person.

http://animalsonancientcoins.com/

I came up with pretty much the same thing.

So I think we can agree that the coin represents a 4 century BC Babylonian coin featuring "Baal of Tarsus enthroned left" & "Lion walking left".

But the question remains - Is it a modern fake, ancient counterfeit, or the real deal?

DCMatt

 

[jimbob450]

My mom found this walking on a beach. I think its a fake.
I didnt know coins could walk on a beach. Jimbob

 

[snizzard]

yes, once she told me it was walking on the beach I knew it was a fake!

 

[DCMatt]

yes, once she told me it was walking on the beach I knew it was a fake!

 

[snizzard]

Here's a better look at the numbers/letters above the lion. It looks like 1914.
And a new one of the front.

 

[snizzard]

I came up with pretty much the same thing.

OK. This is a perfect match.

Can I get a link to this coin. My mom is gonna love this at the cookout!

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

So I think we can agree that the coin represents a 4 century BC Babylonian coin featuring "Baal of Tarsus enthroned left" & "Lion walking left".

But the question remains - Is it a modern fake, ancient counterfeit, or the real deal?

DCMatt

You have the closest match DCMatt. Can we have the link?

The easiest way to tell if its real is to test to see if its silver. Can we see a pic of the edges? That is another way to tell.

Post the link please and Ill try searching from there to find the maker of what appears to be a crude copy or maybe its damaged and worn..

 

[Alchemy]

I'm a little concerned about the markings on the obverse on the lower right hand side.
They're impressed and to me, looks like it could say "copy"

 

[DCMatt]

Try this link:

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Babylonia

The characters that look like 1914 are Aramaic for Mazdai (refering to Mazaeus, the governor of Babylon at the time). Just to give you a sense of the time reference, Aramaic was the language of Jesus.

Alchemy makes an excellent observation. It could say copy. Replicas produced to serve as souveniers are marked "Copy" in accordance with the US Hobby Protection Act.

I've heard stories about people "seeding" beaches with copies of ancient coins as a joke. A few have been posted on the forum - mostly Reales.

I am inclined to consider it a copy until proven otherwise.

DCMatt

DCMatt