Spotting Fakes: A Beginner's Field Guide

Most collectors worry about fakes, and they should — but the fear is bigger than the reality once you learn the basics. The great majority of fakes that reach beginners are not master forgeries; they are crude casts, tourist replicas, and obvious 'fantasy' pieces that betray themselves to anyone who knows the tells. This guide covers the red flags that catch the common ones. The sophisticated deceptions are a separate problem solved by certification and trusted dealers.

Cast, not struck

Genuine ancient coins were struck — a blank was hammered between two hand-engraved dies. Most fakes are cast in moulds, and casting leaves signatures. Look for a faint seam running around the edge where two mould halves met. Look for tiny round pits in the fields — air bubbles trapped in the casting. Genuine struck coins have crisp, slightly raised detail and metal that 'flowed'; casts often look soft, slightly granular, and a touch swollen, as if the design were melted under wax.

• An edge seam or file marks where a seam was removed.
• Small round bubbles or pits in the open fields.
• Soft, mushy detail with no sharp die-struck edges.
• A dull, uniform 'sandcast' texture across the surface.

Surfaces that are wrong

Patina and wear should make sense together. Be suspicious of a coin with sharp, fresh-looking detail but a thick, even, suspiciously green or 'painted' patina — real patina builds in the recesses and varies across the surface. Be suspicious of 'tooling', where a modern engraver has re-cut detail into a genuine but worn coin: the re-cut lines look mechanically even and sit oddly against the worn original. And be suspicious of anything that looks too perfect, with flawless surfaces and impossibly complete strike for its claimed grade.

Weight, size, and the gut check

Know the right weight and diameter for the type and weigh the coin; many fakes are made of the wrong alloy and come out too light or too heavy. A cheap pocket scale and a reference catalogue catch a surprising number of them. Finally, trust the gut check that experience builds: if the style of the portrait looks slightly off — flat, lifeless, 'modern' — it often is. Ancient die engravers had a distinctive hand, and forgers rarely capture it.

The two rules that actually protect you

All of the above helps, but two habits prevent almost every loss. First, buy from dealers who guarantee authenticity for life, in writing. Second, for anything expensive or rare, buy it certified by NGC Ancients. A slab and a guarantee are worth far more than any single tell, because they put the risk on the seller and the grading company, not you. Learn the red flags to enjoy the hobby — but lean on certification to protect your money.