Struck/Pressed Fake Antiochos II Drachm of Ai Khanoum Mint
This coin is associated with the group of high quality Bactrian Antiochos II fakes, dating perhaps to the late 19th century, as described by G.K Jenkins in A Group of Bactrian Forgeries, Revue Numismatique, 1965 Volume 6, Number 7, pages 51-57.
Critical aspects bearing on this consideration include:
Die Axis: Most tellingly, the die axis of the coin is 1h. This is inconsistent with the Ai Khanoum mint standard of dies adjusted to 6h. Refer: Houghton & Lorber (Seleucid Coins), Newell (The Coinage of the Eastern Seleucid Mints) and Kritt (Seleucid Coins of Bactria and Dynastic Transitions in the Coinage of Bactria). All of the known genuine gold and silver coinage of the Seleucid and Diodotid period, which bears the mint controls of Ai Khanoum have a 6h die axis. It is well documented that the mint struck coins with adjusted 6h dies. In contrast, many of the forgeries catalogued by Jenkins are characterised by other die axis orientations with a bias towards 12h.
Weight: The coin weighs 4.52 grams, which is 8% heavier than the attic weight standard drachm of 4.2 grams to which all the documented authentic examples of drachms of the mint at Ai Khanoum conform. Review of the catalogue of comparable drachms in the catalogues of Newell, Houghton and Lorber and Mitchiner (Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian Coinage Volume I) reveals no example of an Ai Khanoum drachm of the Seleucid or Diodotid period with a weight in excess of 4.31 grams. Most examples are appreciably less than 4.2 grams. Jenkins (p. 54) noted that the anomalously high weight of 4.56-4.64 grams characterised two fake drachms in the La Berre collection that match lot 4166 in terms of description.
Dies: With absolute certainty, the coin is struck from the same dies as a gold stater SNG ANS 70 (refer Pl. 4 SNG ANS Part 9 Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek Coins). The reverse die is characterised by an anomalous style with unusually bold dots or beads that delimit the letters of the legend and the ornamentation of the omphalos. The comparable elements on established genuine coins are more subtly executed than those on Lot 4166. Jenkins commented that on the fake coins of this type… ‘The reverse may be compared with that of the genuine coins in the BM and we note once again the comparatively flat and feeble modelling.’ To my knowledge there is no known authentic example of a Seleucid drachm of the period of Antiochos II struck from the same dies as a gold stater.
Diameter: The utilisation of dies from the larger diameter gold stater necessitates a larger than usual diameter silver drachm flan to fully accommodate the images. Lot 4166 is 17 mm in diameter, in contrast to the more usual 14-15 mm of contemporaneous Seleucid drachms issued from Ai Khanoum. By way of comparison SC 618/ESM 710, the type to which this coin was attributed in the description of Lot 4166 is 14-15 mm in diameter based on the illustrations of the coin in Houghton and Lorber (Seleucid Coins) and Newell (Eastern Seleucid Mints).
Visual Diagnostics: Two small spherical beads of metal clearly visible under magnification and also on the photo image of the coin. They are located respectively on the obverse and reverse. The first is evident at ca 9h immediately behind the outermost strand of Antiochos hair. The second is present between the lyre and shin of Apollo. Both are spherical beads that cannot be associated with die wear. They are more suggestive of air bubbles entrained in a mould from which the coin was cast. Additionally, from the photo of the coin, one might infer the presence of an edge seem. However, this is a photographic artefact that results from the abrupt transition from a flat coin face to the more curved coin edge. In hand specimen this transition is unlike anything seen on authentic Ai Khanoum issues. It has a "modern" character to it suggestive of pressing, or alternatively of moulds taken from a pressed hoist coin.
These are the only directly visible diagnostics of fakery, the balance of the argument depending on more subtle numismatic conventions and standards applicable to this coin type.
Stack's accepted the above analysis and refunded the auction proceeds on return of the coin.
Die Darstellung der Rückseite gibt ja die Statuengruppe "Mars-Venus" wieder, von der sich einige erhalten haben. Aktuell (22.11.10) liest man in den Medien, dass der italienische Ministerpräsident Berlusconi eine Gruppe, die sich im Palazzo Chigi befindet, für 70000 € hat ergänzen lassen. Laut einem Artikel von Rachel Kousser im American Jounal of Archaeology (Vol. III, No.4, 2007) steht diese Darstellung für den moralische hochstehenden Wert der römischen Ehe.
Hauptsächlich wohlhabende Privatpersonen haben sich so nach griechischem Vorbild darstellen lassen. Die Portraits der Gruppen ähneln zwar Mitgliedern der antoninischen Kaiserhauses (z.B. Faustina II), entsprechen ihnen aber nicht und sind individuell sehr verschieden.
Dass sich auch Faustina II (mit Mark Aurel?) so hat darstellen lassen, ist natürlich gut möglich.
Aber die Darstellung ehelicher Treue ist natürlich etwas langweiliger als die Darstellung des gegenteils (-:
Pscipio
15. Ноябрь 2010, 14:02
Bei diesem Stück handelt es sich um eine moderne Fälschung. Das Stück wurde zurückgezogen.
This is a modern fake, it has been withdrawn by the auction house.
wpmergel
19. Окт. 2010, 08:04
Aus dem Tagebuch des Münzmeisters Philipp Christian Bunsen geht eindeutig hervor, daß die Münzen dieses Typs noch zu Lebzeiten Karl August Friedrich(1728-1763) ausgeprägt wurden.
A fake from modern dies of wrong style; surfaces and flan are wrong in hand as well. A coin from the same dies was recently offered on eBay by a well-known fake seller.
This is a fake from modern dies, the style is completely wrong for Caracalla at Serdika and moreover, the reverse scene has been changed to make it more eye-catching. A genuine example can be seen here: http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=87405 (no Penis, of course)
Purzel
14. Сент. 2010, 13:33
Der normale J.137 ist ja mit 1000(200 in PP) Exemplaren schon sehr rar.
Kennt jemand die genaue Auflage dieser Variante ?
WelfVI
14. Сент. 2010, 11:25
Hallo Walker,
selbstverständlich kann "Heinrich I. von Bilversheim, 1242-1257" nicht stimmen.
Albert von Wertheim (1398-1421) ist korrekt.
Viele Grüße
Welf
Pscipio
11. Сент. 2010, 09:06
This is a fake from modern dies regularly showing up lately. The style is way off.
This coin is associated with the group of high quality Bactrian Antiochos II fakes, dating perhaps to the late 19th century, as described by G.K Jenkins in A Group of Bactrian Forgeries, Revue Numismatique, 1965 Volume 6, Number 7, pages 51-57.
Critical aspects bearing on this consideration include:
Die Axis: Most tellingly, the die axis of the coin is 1h. This is inconsistent with the Ai Khanoum mint standard of dies adjusted to 6h. Refer: Houghton & Lorber (Seleucid Coins), Newell (The Coinage of the Eastern Seleucid Mints) and Kritt (Seleucid Coins of Bactria and Dynastic Transitions in the Coinage of Bactria). All of the known genuine gold and silver coinage of the Seleucid and Diodotid period, which bears the mint controls of Ai Khanoum have a 6h die axis. It is well documented that the mint struck coins with adjusted 6h dies. In contrast, many of the forgeries catalogued by Jenkins are characterised by other die axis orientations with a bias towards 12h.
Weight: The coin weighs 4.52 grams, which is 8% heavier than the attic weight standard drachm of 4.2 grams to which all the documented authentic examples of drachms of the mint at Ai Khanoum conform. Review of the catalogue of comparable drachms in the catalogues of Newell, Houghton and Lorber and Mitchiner (Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian Coinage Volume I) reveals no example of an Ai Khanoum drachm of the Seleucid or Diodotid period with a weight in excess of 4.31 grams. Most examples are appreciably less than 4.2 grams. Jenkins (p. 54) noted that the anomalously high weight of 4.56-4.64 grams characterised two fake drachms in the La Berre collection that match lot 4166 in terms of description.
Dies: With absolute certainty, the coin is struck from the same dies as a gold stater SNG ANS 70 (refer Pl. 4 SNG ANS Part 9 Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek Coins). The reverse die is characterised by an anomalous style with unusually bold dots or beads that delimit the letters of the legend and the ornamentation of the omphalos. The comparable elements on established genuine coins are more subtly executed than those on Lot 4166. Jenkins commented that on the fake coins of this type… ‘The reverse may be compared with that of the genuine coins in the BM and we note once again the comparatively flat and feeble modelling.’ To my knowledge there is no known authentic example of a Seleucid drachm of the period of Antiochos II struck from the same dies as a gold stater.
Diameter: The utilisation of dies from the larger diameter gold stater necessitates a larger than usual diameter silver drachm flan to fully accommodate the images. Lot 4166 is 17 mm in diameter, in contrast to the more usual 14-15 mm of contemporaneous Seleucid drachms issued from Ai Khanoum. By way of comparison SC 618/ESM 710, the type to which this coin was attributed in the description of Lot 4166 is 14-15 mm in diameter based on the illustrations of the coin in Houghton and Lorber (Seleucid Coins) and Newell (Eastern Seleucid Mints).
Visual Diagnostics: Two small spherical beads of metal clearly visible under magnification and also on the photo image of the coin. They are located respectively on the obverse and reverse. The first is evident at ca 9h immediately behind the outermost strand of Antiochos hair. The second is present between the lyre and shin of Apollo. Both are spherical beads that cannot be associated with die wear. They are more suggestive of air bubbles entrained in a mould from which the coin was cast. Additionally, from the photo of the coin, one might infer the presence of an edge seem. However, this is a photographic artefact that results from the abrupt transition from a flat coin face to the more curved coin edge. In hand specimen this transition is unlike anything seen on authentic Ai Khanoum issues. It has a "modern" character to it suggestive of pressing, or alternatively of moulds taken from a pressed hoist coin.
These are the only directly visible diagnostics of fakery, the balance of the argument depending on more subtle numismatic conventions and standards applicable to this coin type.
Stack's accepted the above analysis and refunded the auction proceeds on return of the coin.
For those interested in Jenkins article on Bactrian Forgeries a copy (without plates unfortunately) can be downloaded from
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/numi_0484-8942_1965_num_6_7_923
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/displayimage.php?pos=-8089
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CoinForgeryDiscussionList/message/26787
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CoinForgeryDiscussionList/message/30392
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CoinForgeryDiscussionList/message/30392
http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=394553
http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=428495
http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=428495
http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=12915
http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=12915
http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=394553
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/displayimage.php?pos=-8165
Es handelt sich um folgende Münze:
Albrecht II. von Habsburg (1330-1358)
Pfennig
Münzstätte Wien
CNA B248
Es handelt sich um folgende Münze:
Albrecht II. von Habsburg (1330-1358)
Pfennig
Münzstätte Wien
CNA B248
Es handelt sich um folgende Münze:
Albrecht II. von Habsburg (1330-1358)
Pfennig
Münzstätte Wien
CNA B248
Es handelt sich um folgende Münze:
Albrecht II. von Habsburg (1330-1358)
Pfennig
Münzstätte Wien
CNA B248
- cast from authentic dies
- identical ex's sold by Forum Ancient coins, CNG:
http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=237805,
http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=285294
- cast from authentic dies
- identical ex's sold by Rauch (withdrawn), Forum Ancient Coins:
http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=411077,
http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=237805
Hauptsächlich wohlhabende Privatpersonen haben sich so nach griechischem Vorbild darstellen lassen. Die Portraits der Gruppen ähneln zwar Mitgliedern der antoninischen Kaiserhauses (z.B. Faustina II), entsprechen ihnen aber nicht und sind individuell sehr verschieden.
Dass sich auch Faustina II (mit Mark Aurel?) so hat darstellen lassen, ist natürlich gut möglich.
Aber die Darstellung ehelicher Treue ist natürlich etwas langweiliger als die Darstellung des gegenteils (-:
This is a modern fake, it has been withdrawn by the auction house.
Den entsprechenden Auszug aus dem Tagebuch können Sie unter
www.waldecker-muenzen.de/contents/PCBunsenXXr.html
nachlesen.
MfG
W.Mergel
Waldecker-Münzen.de
Kennt jemand die genaue Auflage dieser Variante ?
selbstverständlich kann "Heinrich I. von Bilversheim, 1242-1257" nicht stimmen.
Albert von Wertheim (1398-1421) ist korrekt.
Viele Grüße
Welf
Lars Rutten