Saw a guy mislabel a Roman coin as a medieval button at the flea market last Sunday

I was at the flea market near Birmingham and this vendor had a whole tray of what he called 'medieval buttons.' I took one look and knew it was a Roman coin from the 3rd century... the patina and edge shape were a dead giveaway. He was charging $12 each too, which is like half what a real Roman bronze goes for. I told him nicely and he just shrugged and said 'buttons sell faster.' It really bugs me when people don't even try to learn basic dating of metal artifacts. Has anyone else had a dealer swear something was one era when it was clearly another?

2 comments

2 Comments

hannah_price7920d ago

How do you even tell a Roman coin from a medieval button anyway?

faith_price720d ago

Most people miss the patina test entirely. Roman coins develop a specific green crust over centuries that's totally different from the brownish stuff on old buttons, plus buttons usually have a flat back where you can see the shank hole if it broke off. Another dead giveaway nobody talks about is the weight difference a Roman bronze like a follis has a heft to it that feels wrong for a button even without looking. Once you handle enough junk from both eras your hands just know, same way you know a real leather belt from plastic.