Ron writes:Â I am interested in ancient coins, particularly Greek and Roman, but I am concerned about counterfeits. Is it true that it is much easier to produce counterfeit ancient coins as opposed to modern coins? And are there any major clues that I can look for to determine whether ancient coins are counterfeit or genuine? Thanks!
I think that a high quality counterfeit of any coin is dangerous. The purpose of counterfeiting, after all, is deception. It may be harder to produce passable ancient coins because one has to reproduce the characteristic flaws, such as flan breaks and shape, well enough to fool an expert.
The key to authenticating ancient coins is to know the stylistic considerations, that is how and when a coin was minted, what tools were used and how the dies were made. Deviations from the norm require further investigation and may cause suspicion that the coin is counterfeit. There have been some genius counterfeiters that have fooled even the best. Carl Wilhelm Becker was a early 19th century counterfeiter whose work was so good that his counterfeits are collected today.
Your best source of authentication is a reputable dealer. He often has regular contact with authentication resources such as the British Museum or the American Numismatic Association. All reputable dealers will guarantee the authenticity of their coins.
