Macrinus
   19-17 mm. 6:00.

Possibly an imitation in good silver.
Beading diameter 16 mm.
The obverse lettering is impeccable, but the portrait style odd. The nose is pointy and the chin weak.
Under magnification is clear the brown on the check is encrusted on it, not in it, and the metal seems good.
IMP C M OPEL SEV MACRINVS AVG, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right
    /FELICITAS TEMPORVM, Felicitas standing left holding short caduceus and vertical scepter.
Prototype:  Sear 2051. RIC 62, p. 10.
    I have seen one other, in England, like it in the sense that the metal looked solid but slightly green and the style was off.  I was assured by the dealer that he had seen it found in English soil and it was definitely ancient. The provenance of the above piece is unknown.

Diadumenian
  19-17 mm.  6:00.  2.75 grams 

Patinated black. Official style. Could this be a cast? Or could it be official and the silver has just tarnished to black?
It is light weight, but so is the genuine BMC specimen.
M OPEL ANT DIADUMENIAN CAES
/SPES PVBLICA, Spes advancing left, holding flower.
Sear 2072. BMC (Macrinus) 94, plate 81.3 (2.62 grams!). RIC 116.

Return to the main Table of Contents page on ancient Roman imitations.