03-04-2001, 08:48 AM
Rich, I should have your daughter's ring assessed by an antiquities lab, whether a commercial one or a university facility. I run across quite a few cheaply priced "genuine Roman rings" on eBay and they are not hard to forge.<br>
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Indeed there are some forgeries coming out of Eastern Europe these days which are very skillful indeed, and which lack a secure provenance since -- if they were genuine -- they would have been illegally exported. Be careful.<br>
<br>
Forgers know that people are mad about anything Roman and military, so they label something as a "legionary's" this or that, then pawn it off to some foolish dealer who adds a veneer of legitimacy through the power of showy description, and fobs it off on an unsuspecting public.<br>
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I bought an auxiliary diploma fragment on eBay for $1200, which came from a reputable dealer by way of Bulgaria, had been authenticated by a commercial antiquities lab, and came with an ironclad durable guarantee. Unfortunately, having taken the diploma to both Margaret Roxan and Werner Eck (two of the world's experts on diplomata) we come to the regrettable conclusion that it is a very fine forgery. The giveaway was in several transcription errors that would likely fool anyone but a student of the diploma formula. So, the hard lesson is that even with testing one never can be sure.<br>
<br>
Forgers are sometimes clever enough to melt old metal and use it for new, more marketable artifacts. The better the condition a piece is in, the more suspicious one ought to be, particularly if it is offered cheaply. ($1200 for a sizable diploma fragment in that condition was a steal.) In any case, I can get my money back, but most of the things being offered on auctions are not refundable... and for a very good reason. Caveat emptor!<br>
<br>
<br>
Jenny <p></p><i></i>
<br>
Indeed there are some forgeries coming out of Eastern Europe these days which are very skillful indeed, and which lack a secure provenance since -- if they were genuine -- they would have been illegally exported. Be careful.<br>
<br>
Forgers know that people are mad about anything Roman and military, so they label something as a "legionary's" this or that, then pawn it off to some foolish dealer who adds a veneer of legitimacy through the power of showy description, and fobs it off on an unsuspecting public.<br>
<br>
I bought an auxiliary diploma fragment on eBay for $1200, which came from a reputable dealer by way of Bulgaria, had been authenticated by a commercial antiquities lab, and came with an ironclad durable guarantee. Unfortunately, having taken the diploma to both Margaret Roxan and Werner Eck (two of the world's experts on diplomata) we come to the regrettable conclusion that it is a very fine forgery. The giveaway was in several transcription errors that would likely fool anyone but a student of the diploma formula. So, the hard lesson is that even with testing one never can be sure.<br>
<br>
Forgers are sometimes clever enough to melt old metal and use it for new, more marketable artifacts. The better the condition a piece is in, the more suspicious one ought to be, particularly if it is offered cheaply. ($1200 for a sizable diploma fragment in that condition was a steal.) In any case, I can get my money back, but most of the things being offered on auctions are not refundable... and for a very good reason. Caveat emptor!<br>
<br>
<br>
Jenny <p></p><i></i>
Cheers,
Jenny
Founder, Roman Army Talk and RomanArmy.com
We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.
-- Robert Louis Stevenson
Jenny
Founder, Roman Army Talk and RomanArmy.com
We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.
-- Robert Louis Stevenson
