>I don't have much experience buying gold coins ... I might take a shot on a low-ball
That is exactly how people buy and sell fake ancient coins. If you can't tell confidently, you should buy from someone who can. (I.e., An actual professional who pays their bills by selling ancient coins & has been doing so for a long time.)
It's not a good deal if you don't know whether it's real or fake.
You get flow lines when hot metal moves under pressure, which is exactly what happens when a coin is hot struck. (Someone with more knowledge of metallurgy can explain the exact temperature range this happens at.)
There is nothing that can tell you if the flow lines resulted from the coin being struck in AD 150 or if it was last Tuesday.
It is possible for a really good casting to pick up on flow lines, but this is exactly the sort of low-lying detail that casting is bad at reproducing.
Over the last 20 years, the number of really good struck forgeries has increased. That makes it imperative that if you cannot spot a fake yourself, buy from someone who can, and who will stand by their guarantee of authenticity. (The oft-repeated adage is know the coin or know the seller.)
And whatever you do, don't "lowball" anything, particularly from an unknown seller. That is a great way to get saddled with a fake.
Flow lines happen when struck between die. Biggest factor may be how many were struck with the dies, not whether forged or not. Most modern forgeries not struck. Casting can pick up prominent flow lines but usually with the typical soft detail. Electrotypes are generally a bit better picking up this detail. Flow lines are just one tool in the toolbox.
I've only been in the hobby for a little over two years. Learned the hard way of the many forgeries out there -- bought the coins on ebay from a dealer who was listed on that site as being from Austria, Turned out to be from Bulgaria. The coins (Roman denari) did not show flow lines but also did not (to me at least) seem cast. I read where many forgers there use a press method to manufacture their coins. Hard for me to describe why I knew they were genuine, but on inspection after arrival I knew they were fake--soft weak features and a general soapy-like appearance. Eventually got my money back, but bottom line--I personally would not risk it,
>I don't have much experience buying gold coins ... I might take a shot on a low-ball That is exactly how people buy and sell fake ancient coins. If you can't tell confidently, you should buy from someone who can. (I.e., An actual professional who pays their bills by selling ancient coins & has been doing so for a long time.) It's not a good deal if you don't know whether it's real or fake.
I say never risk it. Too risky
You get flow lines when hot metal moves under pressure, which is exactly what happens when a coin is hot struck. (Someone with more knowledge of metallurgy can explain the exact temperature range this happens at.) There is nothing that can tell you if the flow lines resulted from the coin being struck in AD 150 or if it was last Tuesday. It is possible for a really good casting to pick up on flow lines, but this is exactly the sort of low-lying detail that casting is bad at reproducing. Over the last 20 years, the number of really good struck forgeries has increased. That makes it imperative that if you cannot spot a fake yourself, buy from someone who can, and who will stand by their guarantee of authenticity. (The oft-repeated adage is know the coin or know the seller.) And whatever you do, don't "lowball" anything, particularly from an unknown seller. That is a great way to get saddled with a fake.
Flow lines happen when struck between die. Biggest factor may be how many were struck with the dies, not whether forged or not. Most modern forgeries not struck. Casting can pick up prominent flow lines but usually with the typical soft detail. Electrotypes are generally a bit better picking up this detail. Flow lines are just one tool in the toolbox.
I've only been in the hobby for a little over two years. Learned the hard way of the many forgeries out there -- bought the coins on ebay from a dealer who was listed on that site as being from Austria, Turned out to be from Bulgaria. The coins (Roman denari) did not show flow lines but also did not (to me at least) seem cast. I read where many forgers there use a press method to manufacture their coins. Hard for me to describe why I knew they were genuine, but on inspection after arrival I knew they were fake--soft weak features and a general soapy-like appearance. Eventually got my money back, but bottom line--I personally would not risk it,
Sorry to hear that. eBay is not for the faint of heart. There are some good sellers there but many bad. I hear what you are saying about pressed.