PSA: I wasted $200 on a fake Roman coin from an online auction

Got excited about a listing for a 'legionary denarius' with a blurry photo. The seller had good feedback, so I bid and won. When it arrived, a magnet stuck to it, and the details looked wrong. Took it to the local university archaeology department, and they confirmed it was a modern cast. Anyone know a good way to check these things before buying?

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wilson.anthony5mo ago

That magnet test is pretty unreliable for ancient coins though.

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mark_nguyen952mo ago

Magnet tests get way too much hype for how often they lead to false conclusions. A lot of legit ancient coins have enough iron in the dirt they've been sitting in to react slightly. People act like it's a foolproof method but it's really just one tiny piece of the puzzle.

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haydengreen5mo ago

Especially with bronze or lead coins.

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