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An amateur historian in Ohio changed how I date old coins
I used to just go off the date stamped on old Roman coins and call it a day. But a guy at a local archaeology meetup in Columbus pointed out that the mint mark and wear pattern tell a completely different story. He showed me how a coin from 300 AD might have been in circulation for 80 years before getting lost. Now I always check the wear on the edges and the style of the emperor's portrait before I say when it was made. Has anyone else had a collector or historian call out a mistake in your identification habits?
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aarons3619d ago
My buddy Dave got totally roasted at a coin show in Cincinnati last year. He was bragging about this "perfect" 4th century Roman coin he picked up for cheap, saying it was barely circulated. Some old timer walked over, took one look at it, and pointed out the portrait had been re-engraved and the edge was too sharp for a coin that old. Dave had basically bought a modern fake that someone aged with chemicals. He was so embarrassed he didn't talk about coins for like three months. Now he always brings a loupe and checks the metal grain before he buys anything.
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