Constantine I anepigraphic from Constantinople

[Victor]

here's a nice anepigraphic from Constantinople


Constantine I
A.D. 326
18x19mm    3.0gm
Anepigraphic: laureate head right.
CONSTAN/TINVS/AVG in three lines; wreath above.
In ex. CONSA
RIC VII Constantinople 13

[Victor]

The person I sold this coin to posted it on FAC and a member (Romeman/ Lars...I wish he had posted here) told him it was fake. He said that it was made from a Cyziuc campgate. Now Lars is very knowledgeable and I admit to being occasionally fallible; but in hand this coin looks OK. I also sent it to David Sear for his opinion and he issued a COA. Of course, David is also fallible.

Below is a composite of Cyzicus campgate obverses with the Anepigraphic in the lower right. The portraits do have a striking similarity, but once again, there is nothing else immediately suspicous. I will admit to not spending much time looking at the coin, as I was planning on sending it to Sear along with a few others. No excuses for not exercising due diligence though.

[Genio popvli romani]

Well, the analogy that Lars gave about the Cyzicus obverses is very convincing. I have checked with a lot of  coins from the early Constantinople issues, and yes, the bust does not match with this mint.
In the other hand, I am not conviced by the explanations about the reverse despite the marks around the wreath. First, you have to grind the coin up to reach the field and then grind again to make appears letters and wreath and make new field at the background. It is not like erase a legend or carving some details.  What Lars shows like the remains of the campgate should be at the higher level not the lower. Note also that the "prismatic shape" of the letters is as expected for a coin struck with engraved die.
So, I would be ok to agree with a so hightly tooled coin but I need a lot more explanations.

[Victor]

I am going to see if I can get a micrometer and measure the average depth of this coin and a few Cyzicus campgates and see if I can get any meaningful data. Probably not enough data to really say anything, but maybe worthwhile.