Warning: New Solidus auction has at least one fake Athenian owl tetradrachm in it (lot 1026)

[filolif]

The new Solidus auction 136 has another example of a well documented cast fake Athenian owl in it. 

Lot 1026: https://www.biddr.com/auctions/solidus-numismatik/browse?a=5115&l=6235841

We have discussed this coin before when Roma posted a different cast fake of it several months ago. Here are other examples of it:

Unfortunately, Solidus has a reputation of posting many fakes. Definitely an auction house to avoid in general.

[NewStyleKing]

Well spotted! There are so many mass classic owls about that staying awake whilst perusing them is a problem! But surely Solidus was in good company, with the great and much lamented Roma and CNG! 

[Hrefn]

I hope you informed the auctioneer.   I believe fakes are often listed inadvertently.  Doubtless some firms list fakes deliberately, but the blow to a firm which would result from becoming know as a frequent purveyor of fakes could be fatal.  The long term negative consequences would have to be weighed against the short term gain, even by an unscrupulous vendor.  

On the other hand, we all make mistakes.  I recently identified a coin in my collection for several years as counterfeit.  I have no reason to presume the seller knew it was a false coin.  And if I had sold it before this discovery, I would have been a seller of a fake, myself.   The coin was displayed in an active discussion on this forum, and no participant suggested it was problematic in any way.  

Sometimes errors just slip through.  

 

[Kaleun96]

1 minute ago, Hrefn said:

but the blow to a firm which would result from becoming know as a frequent purveyor of fakes could be fatal. 

Might just be me but in my mind Solidus already has this reputation 😅

They're one of the auction houses that I wouldn't buy anything from without doing my own due diligence first. It's not just that there are multiple fakes in every auction but that they don't seem to be getting any better at catching them.

[JAZ Numismatics]

It's awful workmanship for a cast fake, too. Mushy devices, sprinkled with casting bubbles. I'll bet it has an obvious seam around the edge. That coin should be in a textbook demonstrating bad cast fakes.

Edited October 15, 2024 by JAZ Numismatics

[Deinomenid]

Amentia on the German forum seems to find large numbers of these, plus some  NGC entombed "Near East" owl fakes.

And Astarte's big return to floor auctions featured a strange Starr fake hybrid. Though they do the right thing -

 

The paper catalogue they sent out goes from lot 153 to 155 so they caught it quickly, but there have been a few of these hybrids it seems, so I added it here.

I think it is this -

 

 

Edited October 15, 2024 by Deinomenid
clarification

[Bannerknight]

Solidus has now withdrawn the lot. Thanks to the original poster, @filolif!

Edited October 15, 2024 by Bannerknight