Rant: Bought a $200 'authentic' Roman coin off eBay and it's a obvious fake

I saw this really nice looking Roman coin online from a seller claiming it was dug up in Britain. Paid $200 for it because the listing had good photos and a story. Got it in the mail and the patina feels like spray paint plus the weight is way off for a real sestertius. Is there any point trying to get my money back or is this just the cost of learning to spot fakes? How many of you have been burned by online artifact sales?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarahpark3d ago

the patina feels like spray paint" - honestly that line got me because I had the exact same thing happen with a "medieval" coin a few years back. The weight difference is usually a dead giveaway, these fakes are getting better at looking right but they never get the heft correct. What worked for me was filing a claim through eBay's buyer protection system, not the seller directly. I took clear photos of the coin next to a real one I knew was genuine, and pointed out the specific weight difference in grams. eBay actually sided with me and I got my $150 back within two weeks. Even if you don't get the money back this time, you learned a cheap lesson compared to some people who drop thousands on fakes. Next time you shop, ask the seller for specific measurements and a photo of the coin on a scale before you buy.

carter.mila3d ago

Ugh, I feel your pain on that weight thing.

phoenix_grant3d ago

The 4.2 gram difference on a 30 gram coin is what got me last year. I bought what was supposed to be a Spanish 8 reales from the 1700s and it felt way too light the second I picked it up. I took a picture of it sitting on my kitchen scale next to a silver dollar I knew was real and filed the claim through PayPal instead of eBay. They gave me my money back in about 10 days. Now I always ask sellers to send a photo of the coin on a scale before I buy, and if they get weird about it I just walk away.