Good and foul imitations

Since the invention of coinage, counterfeiters have made huge profits by issuing coins made of inferior metal.

However, the question of falsification also arises when unlawful rulers bring coinage into circulation or princes issue coins without being in possession of the right of coinage. At the same time, it was not only legal but also quite common to imitate coins in order to boost one’s own coinage and expand circulation. Even cities such as ancient Syracuse as well as medieval kings occasionally reverted to this form of monetary policy.

Apart from that we know that, since the Renaissance, ancient coins have been copied for the purpose of duping collectors, but often coins were also copied and fantasy coins created out of sheer enthusiasm and admiration for ancient art and culture. It shows that the boundaries between illegal counterfeiting and legal copying are often fluid.