Procedure for Authenticating rare ancients...

disappointingcoins

I have an example of a Milan 25 Soldi Testone con la Saluta and was wondering if PCGS will authenticate and grade this coin or must it be authenticated by a university first?
When questions about Fakes due to design elements came up, a scholar I asked answered "It's not about hand struck vs mechanized, it really about Italy. During the Middle Ages through the Renaissance/Dark Ages, there were well over 100 different states, cities, regions, etc. many producing the same coinage but all slightly different. The big coin, common coin really, because they had to trade was the florin originally from the Republic of Florence. But everyone made their own. The country's money didn't really become unified until about the start of our civil war. You can see some of the variants, including yours here"
https://www.coingallery.de/KarlV/Mailand_E.htm

Insider2

PCGS and all the other TPGS's will authenticate your coin. When dies were hand made the design details varied. For some coins the catalogs state: There are many varieties...

Today with the Internet you can possibly match the design of your coin already authenticated. That does not prove your coin is authentic but it may put your mind to rest before you send it in to PCGS.