That fake ancient coin I bought off eBay for $120 still stings

I got into collecting Roman coins a few months ago (a cheap hobby, I thought), and I saw a listing for what looked like a perfect denarius from 32 BC. The seller had good reviews and the photo showed nice detail, so I jumped on it without doing my homework. When it arrived, the metal felt too light and the edges were way too sharp, like it was cast rather than struck. I took it to a local coin shop downtown, and the guy there laughed and said it was a modern replica made in some Chinese factory. I lost 120 bucks on that thing, and now I keep it on my desk as a reminder to always check for patina and strike marks. Has anyone else gotten burned by an online artifact scam like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

angela_carter2d agoMost Upvoted

Did the loupe reveal anything specific on yours that totally gave it away?

max_ramirez482d ago

lol yeah that exact "sharp edges" thing is how I got burned on a "Spanish cob" years ago. Best tip I ever got was to buy a cheap jeweler's loupe and check for the little die cracks and flow lines that replicas never get right.