Help with Coin Identification

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CaptainHowdy
CaptainHowdy Posts: 4 ✭
in World & Ancient Coins Forum

My mother passed away 6 years ago and left me this ancient coin. She said it was very valuable and I think it’s made out of gold. Can anyone help me identify it? Thanks in advance.


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  • Sapyx
    Sapyx Posts: 2,616 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Unfortunately, this is not a genuine ancient coin - it shows clear signs of having been cast, not struck. It probably isn't gold, but you'd need to get it tested.

    I'm not sure which ancient coin the design is based on. It seems to combine elements from several coins; the grazing horse of Larissa (Greek coinage), while the standing figure gives off a "1st century Roman emperor" vibe.

    It could be a Paduan (a mediaeval counterfeit), or a copy of one, though those normally have more inscriptions on them than this.

    I know weighing it will prove difficult, with the attachment and all, but how big is it?

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  • CaptainHowdy
    CaptainHowdy Posts: 4 ✭
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    Here’s the weight in ounces and i took a pic next to a quarter for scale

  • Sapyx
    Sapyx Posts: 2,616 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    There are certainly no ancient gold coins that large and heavy.

    Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.
    Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, "Meditations"

    Apparently I have been awarded the DPOTD twice. B)
  • CaptainHowdy
    CaptainHowdy Posts: 4 ✭
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    Thank you for the assessment. I'm a little disappointed since someone had my mother thinking this was a valuable old coin. I know she had been to Greece so I guess she may have got it there. Any thoughts on what the scribbled writing on the base might be? Thanks again for sharing your knowledge

  • RiveraFamilyCollect
    RiveraFamilyCollect Posts: 910 ✭✭✭✭
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    You can ask your local pawn shop to acid test the material. 4 oz of gold is nothing to scoff at.

    Llamas and alpacas are camels. They aren't like camels, or related. They are camels. When was anyone going to tell me this?! How long had Bill Nye been holding out on us?

  • Greenstang
    Greenstang Posts: 1,646 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Doubt very much it is solid gold, maybe plated.
    Someone is not going to drill into a solid gold piece to insert a post.
    To me it looks like some kind of a tourist piece.

  • Sapyx
    Sapyx Posts: 2,616 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @CaptainHowdy said:
    Any thoughts on what the scribbled writing on the base might be?

    The black pen marks? If it's a relatively modern "art medal", as I suspect, perhaps it's the signature of the artist.

    A Greek origin seems reasonable. In Greece it is illegal to sell to tourists or to export from Greece genuine ancient coins, but selling and exporting replica and fantasy coins like this is OK.

    Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.
    Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, "Meditations"

    Apparently I have been awarded the DPOTD twice. B)

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