![]() ![]() ![]() Minerals on the surface of the coins were consistent with them having been buried for an extended period, and the scientists detected sulphate crystals, which typically form when an object is deprived of oxygen for a long time and then re-exposed to air. When examined at high magnification using optical imaging and electron microscopy, the coins showed similar patterns of wear and tear to genuine coins, suggesting they had been in circulation for several years. “If they’re a forgery, that’s a big outlay to start with,” said Pearson. This revealed that simply based on their weight in gold, the coins are valuable – the assemblage would be worth $20,000 (£16,700) in modern value. He began corresponding with Jesper Ericsson, the numismatics curator at the Hunterian museum in Glasgow, which holds a coin in its collection, and the pair decided to perform a full scientific analysis. Pearson, an earth scientist, learned about the coins and the “fake emperor” while researching a book on Roman history as a lockdown project. One expert suggested they were the work of a sophisticated Viennese fraudster who had invented an emperor to appeal to collectors, and this became the prevailing view. But from the mid-19th century, attitudes changed owing to the coins’ crude designs and jumbled inscriptions. When the coins were discovered, they were initially thought to be genuine. But four coins bear the name and image of Sponsian, who does not appear in any other historical records. Several depict recognised Roman emperors of the third century, including Gordian III and Philip the Arab. The hoard of coins are said to have been unearthed in Transylvania, in modern-day Romania, in 1713. “Our evidence suggests Sponsian ruled Roman Dacia, an isolated goldmining outpost, at a time when the empire was beset by civil wars and the borderlands were overrun by plundering invaders.” “We’re very confident that they’re authentic,” said Prof Paul Pearson, of University College London, who led the research. Usually combining methods of documenting stylistic problems, tracking the number of exact copies, noticing undocumented OBVERSE and REVERSE designs, and checking the weight, these coins can be verified.But a scientific analysis has concluded that the coins are genuine third-century artefacts, and the researchers make the case that Emperor Sponsian was also the real deal. This, of course, can be dangerous for real coins that have an "odd" style. A bit like handwriting - no two people can write a word in exactly the same way - ancient die engravers had a particular style that is hard for modern artists to capture. ![]() This particular coin has been determined a fake because of the style. They are some of the most dangerous kinds of forgeries due to the fact that, given the right die-carver, they can look exactly like genuine ancient coins. This coin, a fake, die-cast coin of Pertinax, was created using a method very similar to the ancient way of minting coins. Using the ancient method of minting, the likelihood of two coins having the exact same ridge is very low thus, our coin is a fake. ![]() That is, in fact, how we can tell the above coin of Mithradates II in Hallie Ford's collection is a counterfeit: the ridge on the top-right REVERSE side of this coin is exactly the same as a coin already proven to be forged. Two coins that are exactly the same are also problematic. Some numismatists are so skilled at identifying fakes that they can tell simply by looking at the style of the portraiture. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |