Silver Denarius of Tiberius Fourree (Counterfeit)

[Silver Searcher]

First of all this is not a find I made but as I haven't posted in a while I thought I would show you this coin my Mate found today. It is a very interesting coin and shows how good counterfeiters were back in Roman times.

The coin is that of Tiberius AD 14-37....Obverse laureate head right, reverse Livia seated right holding sceptre and branch. (Tribute Penny)

A fourree is a coin, most often a counterfeit, that is made from a base metal core that has been plated with a precious metal to look like its solid metal counterpart. The term is normally applied to ancient silver plated coins such as the Roman Denarius and Greek Drachma, but the term is also applied to other plated coins.

Perhaps I myself might find something soon to show, this is the worse start I have ever had to a year .

SS

 

[Westfront]

Perfect made. It took almost 2000 years to show thats a counterfeit!

 

[terpfan]

Great post. Thanks for the education on Roman counterfeiting. I had no idea that counterfeiting was prevalent in Roman times. BTW--I can't see your slump lasting much longer. You'll be back posting something outstanding in no time!

 

[Silver Searcher]

Great post. Thanks for the education on Roman counterfeiting. I had no idea that counterfeiting was prevalent in Roman times. BTW--I can't see your slump lasting much longer. You'll be back posting something outstanding in no time!

I hope so Mate, this was my first visit to the area, but my Friend already has had 3 Silvers including a rare one, which I will try and get a picture of.

SS

 

[Westfront]

Maybe we all have some counterfeit silvers in our collection and don't even know.... i have a strong suspicion with one or two i have...

 

[Silver Searcher]

Maybe we all have some counterfeit silvers in our collection and don't even know.... i have a strong suspicion with one or two i have...

You probably have, I have had quite a few. They are more common then you would imagine, later on towards the end of the empire they became very degraded.

SS

 

[Ia.FurTrade]

Thanx for all the good info, SS!
I predict your luck will change soon1

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Those counterfeits are better than our modern coinage! They don't designate as fast!

Your going to find something really awesome, and make us all jealous! GL. HH!

 

[Silver Searcher]

Those counterfeits are better than our modern coinage! They don't designate as fast!

Your going to find something really awesome, and make us all jealous! GL. HH!

Just the same here Mate, modern coinage won't last long in the ground, future hunters will have nothing to find, coin wise at least

SS

 

[jewelerguy]

this is the worse start I have ever had to a year .

I would think that is an outstanding find. to me, that counterfeit gives more to think about than a genuine coin struck by the Roman empire. it provides thought about the people who made it, and how they went about their clandestine activity, and what the penalty would have been if caught. I think it's just pretty cool

 

[CRUSADER]

Not being funny, I thought you had stop posting, for some reason. Sad to hear your having a tough one, when I'm having the opposite Strange how the seasons fall.....

 

[Ahab8]

Highs and lows my friend. Just means that your high is coming soon

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

Congrats on finding a fantastic piece of history. Yes it's not a solid silver coin but I am sure that there were a lot less CFs around then the real deal ones, that just makes it more rare in my books and a niche collectable.
One question though....how in the heck did the plate these way back then? The only way I could think of is dunking the bronze coin in molten silver, can anyone educate me on the process?
ZDD

 

[Silver Searcher]

Congrats on finding a fantastic piece of history. Yes it's not a solid silver coin but I am sure that there were a lot less CFs around then the real deal ones, that just makes it more rare in my books and a niche collectable.
One question though....how in the heck did the plate these way back then? The only way I could think of is dunking the bronze coin in molten silver, can anyone educate me on the process?
ZDD

Yes that's right Dave, dipping a bronze core into silver was one way they made counterfeit coins. The most common method for producing a fourrée was to take a flan of copper, wrap it with silver foil, heat it, and strike it with the dies. If the coin was sufficiently heated and struck hard enough, a layer of eutectic alloy (a mixture of 72% silver and 28% copper that has the lowest melting point of any mixture of these two metals) would be produced, fusing the layers together.

SS

 

[Silver Searcher]

Not being funny, I thought you had stop posting, for some reason. Sad to hear your having a tough one, when I'm having the opposite Strange how the seasons fall.....

There's is a difference with stopping posting, and not having anything to post mines the latter, I think you went through a similar time a few years back, when I had just found the Roman villa area.. I had good times then, and lean times now, hopefully this new area will produce.

SS

 

[golden sluice]

I read that there is a market for ancient dirty counterfeit coins also. Celts loved counterfeiting...

 

[Silver Searcher]

I read that there is a market for ancient dirty counterfeit coins also. Celts loved counterfeiting...

Counterfeiting goes way back to 7BC, and yes the Celts used debased coinage, but coins weren't used by British Celts for trading, more ceremonial, they would plant coins in fields as a offering for a good harvest.

SS

 

[golden sluice]

When I was In turkey in 2004 traveling through iskindur and ephisis, therer were some really poorly made coins for sale. I thought is this a joke, these coins were So bad I started laughing as i walked past.