Paid $15 for a 'Roman denarius' that was a tourist token

Picked up a coin at a flea market outside Columbus for $15. Seller swore it was a Roman denarius, had the right patina and everything. Got it home and started cleaning it gently with a soft brush. Under the crud I saw the words "Souvenir of Rome" stamped right on the edge. Did some digging online and found out these were made for tourists in the 60s, probably by the thousands. The metal was just a cheap brass blend, not silver at all. Still, it fooled me for a solid two days, I even showed it to my buddy who collects. Has anyone else bought something that looked ancient but turned out to be mass-produced junk from last century?

0 comments

0 Comments

No comments yet

Be the first to share your thoughts on this discussion.