gustophersmob Posted July 21 · Member Share Posted July 21 (edited) Howdy! I've got my first relatively pricey (for me, at least) coin on the way, a denarius of Tiberius. I found this one for what I thought was a reasonable price, I was primarily wanting the "TI CAESAR" legend legible. The seller has a lifetime genuine guarantee, so I'm likely OK if something is off but I wanted to check here to see if there was anything obviously questionable about this? To my very inexperienced eye, it seems genuine. I was initially concerned with how his neck fades into the field, but I've seen that on pictures of others, so I'm less concerned about that. These are the seller's pictures, I have not yet received it. The three obverse pics are similar, but it looks like they moved it in the lighting a bit Edited July 21 by gustophersmob 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kali Posted July 21 · Member Share Posted July 21 Look fine to me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prieure de Sion Posted July 21 · Member Share Posted July 21 When asking about the authenticity, it is always important to mention the diameter and weight... 😉 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gustophersmob Posted July 21 · Member Author Share Posted July 21 20 minutes ago, Prieure de Sion said: When asking about the authenticity, it is always important to mention the diameter and weight... 😉 Thanks, I knew I was leaving something out. Per the seller, diameter is 17mm, weight is 3.73g. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Cazador Posted July 21 · Member Share Posted July 21 45 minutes ago, gustophersmob said: Howdy! I've got my first relatively pricey (for me, at least) coin on the way, a denarius of Tiberius. I found this one for what I thought was a reasonable price, I was primarily wanting the "TI CAESAR" legend legible. The seller has a lifetime genuine guarantee, so I'm likely OK if something is off but I wanted to check here to see if there was anything obviously questionable about this? To my very inexperienced eye, it seems genuine. I was initially concerned with how his neck fades into the field, but I've seen that on pictures of others, so I'm less concerned about that. These are the seller's pictures, I have not yet received it. The three obverse pics are similar, but it looks like they moved it in the lighting a bit Looks ok, but Eternitycoins off Ebay is extremely overpriced for the quality 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broucheion Posted July 21 · Member Share Posted July 21 HI All, I think I see crystallization on the obverse between the 12:00 and 1:00 positions. - Broucheion 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gustophersmob Posted July 21 · Member Author Share Posted July 21 2 minutes ago, Broucheion said: HI All, I think I see crystallization on the obverse between the 12:00 and 1:00 positions. - Broucheion What does that indicate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gustophersmob Posted July 21 · Member Author Share Posted July 21 (edited) 12 minutes ago, El Cazador said: Looks ok, but Eternitycoins off Ebay is extremely overpriced for the quality That's unfortunate. I thought it seemed in line with similar pieces on eBay and vcoins. There were a couple that were less expensive on vcoins, but from sellers outside the US, and I wanted to avoid that at least for now, given my inexperience. I will admit to being a little impatient, as I was hoping to get it in time for a presentation I'm doing at church (hence desiring a legible legend for the "TI CAESAR" part). Oh well, if I overpaid, its a lesson learned, I suppose. Edited July 21 by gustophersmob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broucheion Posted July 21 · Member Share Posted July 21 (edited) Hi @gustophersmob, It indicates the coin is embrittled and could shatter if dropped onto a hard surface. It happens over time as materials are leeched out of the coin. - Broucheion Edited July 21 by Broucheion 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gustophersmob Posted July 21 · Member Author Share Posted July 21 1 minute ago, Broucheion said: Hi @gustophersmob, It indicates the coin is embrittlement and could shatter if dropped onto a hard surface. - Broucheion Now that doesn't sound good... Is there a way to check once I have it in hand? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broucheion Posted July 21 · Member Share Posted July 21 Hi @gustophersmob, Take a look at this thread for some images. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/crystallized-silver.376533/ - Broucheion 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gustophersmob Posted July 21 · Member Author Share Posted July 21 6 minutes ago, Broucheion said: Hi @gustophersmob, Take a look at this thread for some images. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/crystallized-silver.376533/ - Broucheion Very interesting, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gustophersmob Posted July 21 · Member Author Share Posted July 21 as luck would have it, the coin arrived today. I tried to get some pics of the possible crystallization. Sorry if they aren’t the best, I’m using my 10x loupe and iPhone. what do you guys think based on these pics? Can you tell if it crystallization? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gustophersmob Posted July 21 · Member Author Share Posted July 21 And a couple of full on pics using the loupe. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kali Posted July 21 · Member Share Posted July 21 Look better in-hand, from the photos, it's still real. As for the crystallization, it looks like a chip to me. But the edge itself looks like it may have been filed? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gustophersmob Posted July 21 · Member Author Share Posted July 21 One thing I noticed, and it is very hard to capture in a picture, is that some of high points in that chip area have wear on them. I tried to point to the main one below. Would that indicate that the chip could be old, and not a sign of embrittlement? Or is that just wishful thinking? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gustophersmob Posted July 21 · Member Author Share Posted July 21 (edited) 43 minutes ago, Kali said: Look better in-hand, from the photos, it's still real. As for the crystallization, it looks like a chip to me. But the edge itself looks like it may have been filed? I don’t see anything obviously wrong with the edge, but again I’m pretty new to this. I assume edge filing would be to shave silver off? Does 3.73g seem light weight? Edited July 21 by gustophersmob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Conduitt Posted July 21 · Supporter Share Posted July 21 Weight and size are good. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPK Posted July 21 · Supporter Share Posted July 21 (edited) Looks good to me! Nice coin! At that weight, there can't be much crystallization at all, if any. I wouldn't worry about it. Edited July 21 by CPK 1 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gustophersmob Posted July 21 · Member Author Share Posted July 21 44 minutes ago, CPK said: Looks good to me! Nice coin! At that weight, there can't be much crystallization at all, if any. I wouldn't worry about it. Thanks! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayAg47 Posted July 21 · Member Share Posted July 21 With crystallized coins, I treat them like terracotta and not like a metal, handle with care only above a padded surface or coin tray, and store them in a plastic capsule. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broucheion Posted July 22 · Member Share Posted July 22 3 hours ago, CPK said: At that weight, there can't be much crystallization at all, if any. I wouldn't worry about it. Hi All, I agree. - Broucheion 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gustophersmob Posted July 22 · Member Author Share Posted July 22 Thanks everyone for your help! It seems like the consensus is that it’s real. And maybe the consensus is that it is not crystalized. Either way, I’ve learned a lot just through this little episode, so thanks for all the help and pointers! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roman Collector Posted July 22 · Patron Share Posted July 22 Has nobody commented about the big gash across the emperor's cheek? That's going to be a big issue when it comes time to sell. 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPK Posted July 22 · Supporter Share Posted July 22 4 minutes ago, Roman Collector said: Has nobody commented about the big gash across the emperor's cheek? That's going to be a big issue when it comes time to sell. Market it as evidence of damnatio memoriae and it'll be a selling point! 😉 But seriously, I doubt it will affect the resale value too much, given how popular that type is. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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