Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Auction 114 13-14 May 2020
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The Triumvirs. Mark Antony. Autumn 32-spring 31 BC. AR Denarius (17mm, 3.37 g, 9h). Tardani Counterfeit. Praetorian galley right / Aquila between two signa; LEG PRI across lower field. For prototype: cf. Crawford 544/13; cf. CRI 348; cf. Sydenham 1215; cf. RSC 26; RBW –. Toned, a few light scratches and marks. VF.
From the Jonathan P. Rosen Collection. Ex Lanz 161 (7 December 2015), lot 214 (as genuine, realized 6250 Euros).
The counterfeiter Tardani was prolific in Europe during the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Many of the dies Tardani created are now housed in the Smithsonian, and Frank L. Kovacs, the noted dealer and scholar from Corte Madera, California, is one of the few numismatists to have studied these dies.
Frank notes that "Tardani made his Leg Pri from 'scratch' by removing the legion number from a positive [electrotype copy] – creating a negative [electrotype copy] into which he engraved the desired number, and then striking the fakes. He kept an archive of positives from which he could then make as many transfer dies as he needed. He probably also created the LEG XXIV–XXX (Syd. 1247-1253), which Sear listed as 'doubtful' in Roman Silver Coins."
From the Jonathan P. Rosen Collection. Ex Lanz 161 (7 December 2015), lot 214 (as genuine, realized 6250 Euros).
The counterfeiter Tardani was prolific in Europe during the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Many of the dies Tardani created are now housed in the Smithsonian, and Frank L. Kovacs, the noted dealer and scholar from Corte Madera, California, is one of the few numismatists to have studied these dies.
Frank notes that "Tardani made his Leg Pri from 'scratch' by removing the legion number from a positive [electrotype copy] – creating a negative [electrotype copy] into which he engraved the desired number, and then striking the fakes. He kept an archive of positives from which he could then make as many transfer dies as he needed. He probably also created the LEG XXIV–XXX (Syd. 1247-1253), which Sear listed as 'doubtful' in Roman Silver Coins."