5
Wasted $120 on a fake ancient Roman coin from an online seller
I bought what was supposedly a silver denarius from a dealer on eBay, but after getting it tested it turned out to be a modern lead copy with barely any silver content. Has anyone else gotten burned by fake coins from those auction sites?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
jamie77010d ago
And of course @kellyjones is right about the ring test, except now I'm just dropping lead fakes on my kitchen floor like a weirdo hoping for a symphony that never comes. But you know what's worse than losing $120? Finding out the "ancient" coin I bought has a date stamp from 2022 on the edge under a magnifying glass. Guess that's one way to find out your "Emperor Trajan" was actually minted in a basement in Ohio. Hope the seller at least threw in some free finger puppet gladiators for my trouble.
6
kellyjones10d ago
eBay is full of those lead fakes, especially when it comes to Roman coins. The real silver denarius will have a certain ring to it when you drop it, and the weight feels different in your hand. A good test is to check the edge for any of the layered silver wash they use on those modern copies. You can also look up the specific die matches for that emperor's coinage online before you buy, that helps spot the obvious fakes.
2