In mid-300s BCE, the two most famous men of the Greek world were Alexander of Macedonia and Diogenes of Sinope. Alexander ruled the world. Diogenes lived like a dog. "If I could not be Alexander," said the Macedonian, "I would want to be Diogenes." All historians agree that Diogenes came to Athens in the wake of some crime against the coinage of Sinope.

The British Museum and the Danish Museum are not alone in cataloguing coins from Sinope signed DIO and with a test cut on the obverse. According to the ANA Authentication Bureau, my coin's specific gravity is 10.32, which is about the same as an alloy of 90% silver and 10% copper. However, in the ancient world, silver coins were nominally pure. Was this coin purposely debased by Diogenes the Cynic when he served as the town moneyer? It is tempting to give in to the desire to believe. It is also just as tempting to remain cynical.