How Researchers at the British Museum Detected and Tested Greek Coin Forgeries

Laura Perucchetti and colleagues at the British Museum have uncovered a group of skilfully crafted counterfeit ancient coins that may be one of the earliest examples of forgers using scientific analysis to dupe collectors. By examining the composition of the coins and comparing them with genuine artefacts, experts believe the forgers deliberately used ancient metal to avoid detection. The findings highlight the long history of a cat and mouse game between forgers and analysts, and the need for vigilance in verifying the authenticity of even the most convincing pieces.