1218 Second Notice of some forged Coins [No. 108. 



in the accompanying plate : for all of which, as well as for several cast 

 forgeries, I am indebted to the disinterested kindness of Dr. Chapman of 

 the 16th Lancers, who sent me all the suspected specimens in his own 

 cabinet, and impressions of other suspected coins which he had seen, 

 accompanied also with several genuine coins, that I might have, by 

 a personal examination and comparison of them, the very best possible 

 means of drawing correct conclusions regarding the genuineness of the 

 suspected coins. 



The forgeries which I am now about to notice are of two distinct 

 kinds, of which the most likely to deceive, consists of pieces formed 

 in moulds from genuine ancient coins. These are generally repro- 

 ductions in gold of ancient silver coins ; though some few specimens 

 are known of silver, formed from genuine copper coins, and even silver 

 gilt pieces have been offered for sale. This kind of forgery is how- 

 ever not likely to do much injury to the cause of numismatic science ; 

 for the cast pieces only repeat the very types and legends of genuine 

 coins. Now the very fact of a gold piece being of the same size, type, 

 and make as a known true silver coin, should at once lead a collector 

 to suspect its genuineness, and to examine carefully whether the gold 

 piece has not been cast. Of the genuine gold Bactrian coinage only 

 one specimen of Euthydemus is at present known ; and this scarcity 

 alone should make collectors cautious how they purchase a gold Bac- 

 trian piece, unless it should be of a round form, and of a type unknown 

 either in the silver or copper money of the same prince. 



From what I have said, it will be evident that our best safe-guard 

 against cast forgeries, lies in the cupidity of the forgers, who reproduce 

 the ancient silver coins in gold, that their profit upon each piece may 

 be greater ; and by this very change of metal we have an almost 

 certain proof, furnished by the short-sighted forger himself, that the 

 piece cannot be genuine. Were the forgers of cast coins however 

 to confine themselves to the multiplication of silver casts of genuine 

 silver coins, the only means of detection would be in the want of 

 sharpness and distinctness both in the figures and in the letters, and 

 more especially where they join the field or ground of the piece ; and 

 in an excess of sharpness about the edges, instead of the smooth 

 rounded edge of a genuine coin ; as well as in a kind of dull frosted 

 appearance, which cast coins usually have. 



