Warning - Counterfeit Julius Caesar Denarius Brockage

astrorat

Just in case this little gem makes its way back to the marketplace, I thought I would share my story with the coin and a couple of images so the coin can be identified more easily.

In mid-August last year I was browsing a favorite ancient coins vendor site (vcoins.com) and found a wonderful Julius Caesar brockage. As a collector of Roman Republic brockages, I was very excited and the price wasn't too high. Although I had never purchased from this particular dealer before, I have come to trust dealers on vcoins.com and have never had a problem.

The Caesar looked decent, although the surfaces appeared to be a bit granular. Then again, it was a Caesar denarius brockage ... the first one I have seen. The coin shipped quickly and was soon off to NGC for grading (and authentication). I waited ... and waited ... and finally received notice in December the submission was ready. My heart sank when this coin was listed as not encapsulated. The following day I received a polite note from NGC indicating the reason ... it was a counterfeit.

I was upset. Not so much for buying a counterfeit ... but I really wanted a Caesar denarius brockage! The coin was returned to the dealer who required me to submit my NGC tag along with the coin so he/she could send it back to the auction house for a refund of his/her purchase price.

My refund from the dealer was fairly smooth and I am not sure the role, if any, the vcoins.com folks played in the return (as I alerted them as well). I was somewhat surprised I had to ask for a reimbursement for my shipping (which is part of the vcoins dealer Code of Ethics) but I was reimbursed, nonetheless. It was irritating that the dealer refused to reimburse my certification fees since he/she required I send the label back with the coin ... and vcoins.com was silent on that point as well (also disappointing).

astrorat

Okay ... I need to post a real Roman Republican brockage now ...

L. Mussidius Longus

SmEagle1795

That's a shame! It would be an incredible piece if real. Your Mussidius is beautiful though!

bronzemat

Wow..OK, I was going to buy that coin as well when it was listed. But when I had the funda to buy it, it was sold and I ended up with the one below as a sorta booby prize from a different dealer.

And the dealer that sold you it is usually one of the better ones too. Pretty surprised it was fake.

Well, now I guess I don't have to be as upset about missing it and dodged a bullet.

Julius Caesar (February-March 44 B.C)
AR Denarius
Lifetime Issue
O: Wreathed head of Caesar right; CAESAR downward to right, DICT PERPETVO upward to left.
R: Venus Victrix standing left, holding Victory in outstretched right hand and vertical scepter in left; L • BVC[A] downwards to right. L. Aemilius Buca, moneyer.
Rome Mint
3.92g
17mm
Crawford 480/8; Alföldi Type XIV, 62–3, 67, and 69 (A13/R22); CRI 105; Sydenham 1061; RSC 23; RBW 1683.

OliverDePlaise

@astrorat said:
Okay ... I need to post a real Roman Republican brockage now ...

L. Mussidius Longus

I think I may change my name. Mussidius Longus. Yes. Good ring to it.

astrorat

UPDATE - The dealer just sent me a refund of my NGC certification fees.

oldUScoins

Did NGC explain any further how they determined it to be a fake? I find it somewhat scary buying ancient coins with fakes coming out of Bulgaria, etc and even the dealers are getting fooled.

astrorat

No explanation ... just that the coin was not genuine.

astrorat

Duplicate post