Owner Comments:
For as long as physical items have been traded for goods and services, there have efforts to cheat the system. Imitation of a more valued object with the intent to deceive is such an old concept that it was highlighted four millennia ago in the Hammurabi Code, the oldest laws ever recorded.
Coinage appeared around 7th century BC in Asia Minor, and, contemporaneously, so did forged counterparts. Ancient coins comprise numerous instances of ancient counterfeit strikes, and such shady schemes continue in modern times. Ancient Rome was no exception; numismatic forgeries were facilitated by a wide geographical breadth, a myriad of mints and designs, and frequently modified monetary standards for weights and precious metal contents, not to mention the unprecedentedly large number of coins produced.
The volume of coin production steadily increased in order to support Rome’s steadily increasing military machine. By the reign of Emperor Severus Alexander, portrayed on the obverse of this ancient plated denarius, the number of legions rose to thirty three, which, based on an average soldier’s salary at the time required more than 100 million denarii per year and rising,
donativa not included.
Many ancient forgeries reveal poor workmanship. In contrast, this mint-state plated denarius shows striking details that remarkably resemble official designs. Who produced such well made plated and cast copies? Were they made by official mint workers, resourceful forgers, or perhaps both? At least for this particular coin, the responsible party had considerable skill and access to high quality materials.
Besides the coin’s origin, many other questions remain. How often did it trade hands - if at all - before its revelation as a fake? Did the perpetrator get away with the crime? Most probably, such details will never be revealed. Even so, it is known that most ancient plated and en cast denarii found their way to the Empire’s borders with neighboring barbarians, and turned up far into non-Roman-occupied barbaricum. This particular coin was likely contemporaneous with Alexander’s ill-fated attempt to bribe threatening Germanic tribes. It is even possible that this coin, intentionally or not, was intended for that very purpose. Fabricating such provocative speculations is part of the fun of ancient coin collecting.
Coin details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Severus Alexander (222-235 AD), Plated Denarius (1.88g), NGC Grade: MS, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 5/5, Obverse: Laureate head right, IMP AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG, Reverse: Mars advancing right, transverse spear in right and trophy across shoulder in left, PM TRP VII COS II PP (perhaps indicating forged in 228 AD). Reference: No exact match yet found, designs similar to RIC 61, RSC 305 (obverse) and RIC 85, RSC 351(reverse).