FALSE COIN OF EMPRESS LUCILLA FOUND IN SERDICA
FALSE COIN OF EMPRESS LUCILLA FOUND IN SERDICA

Summary/Abstract: A false coin found in Serdica is described in this article. It is about the coin mixti from the time of empress Lucilla (164–168/ 169), which has the following description: Obverse: LVCILLAE AVG ANTONINI AVG F draped bust right. Reverse: CONCORDIA Concordia seated left, holding a patera and resting her arm on a statue of Spes. Diameter: 17/18mm; Weight – 2.95g. The core is made of copper alloy, covered with thick gilding. At present the gilding on the relief parts of the images and letters is impaired and parts of the core are visible, which have rough surface as a result of pits in the metal. On the observe of the coin the impairment is bigger on the image of the empress and smaller on the letters of the inscription. On the reverse the cover of the letters and the inscription is impaired. The images and the inscriptions on the coin are the same as on the denar, listed in RIC under No 758. The copper kernel is supposed to have been coated with silver foil and then stamped with the matrix for denars. However, for some reason the kernel was covered with gold, not with silver. It is difficult to estimate whether that was an accident or planned in advance, but as a final reckoning, the fraud is double – a kernel of common metal covered with a golden foil and stamped with the images of silver coin. In any case it was presumed that the potential owners of that coin were not familiar with the images on the silver and gold coins and this way the Specimen would be accepted without any problems.

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