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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1569 Posts |
Quote:
As there is no such thing as "21 karat pure" I suggest you might find another expert to test it I have been testing metals for years and I still can't pinpoint gold over 14k to within a k or so. This is because the acid used at this level is for gold of 14k to 24k see pic. The only realistic way to pinpoint the accuracy to that level is by using handheld XRF analyzers.   |
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New Member
 United States
7 Posts |
@MetDet71
21 karat pure gold means that the gold is 87.5% pure. The remaining 12.5% is made up of other metals, such as silver, copper, or zinc. These other metals are added to make the gold more durable and to give it different colors.
21 karat gold is a popular choice for jewelry because it is durable and has a beautiful yellow color. It is also used in some electronics and medical devices.
see the table below showing the different karats of gold and their purity:
| Karat | Purity |
|---|---|---|
| 24K | 99.9% pure |
| 22K | 91.67% pure |
| 21K | 87.5% pure |
| 18K | 75% pure |
| 14K | 58.3% pure |
| 10K | 41.7% pure |
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New Member
United States
7 Posts |
@captainmandrake1
You're right, it's not a coin in the traditional sense. It doesn't have any writing or ruler image or national attributes. However, it is a gold coin, and it was likely used as an amulet or symbol for something. That's why I need to identify its age, because I searched it many times and found no similar coin.
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Moderator
 United States
34428 Posts |
@kris, thx for your answers. I too am a little leery of acid testing coins although the simple design elements do not necessarily rule this out from being a coin in my mind. With that said, I'm not seeing similar pieces in my usual spots on the interwebs such as zeno.ru, numista, and acsearch. Can you please post a couple pictures of the edge to this thread? Thx.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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New Member
United States
7 Posts |
@Spence
Thank you for your concern. I was very careful in doing any tests on the coin. I only tested a small area, and I used a very gentle method. I am committed to preserving the coin and preventing any damage. I will let you see it in a video
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New Member
United States
7 Posts |
@FVRIVS RVFVS
the test approved that it is above 21 Karat pure gold. As I'm not a professional in the field so I may interpret something different from the actual view.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
A typical gold test kit contains acids for 10k, 14k, 18k and 22k. If the 18k acid doesn't react and 22k reacts ever so slightly, one might call it 21k but most would buy it as 18k. Throughout the middle ages, the Star of David was primarily a Muslim symbol called the Seal of Solomon. The two symbols share a common historical root. However as Sigmund Freud might say, "Sometimes a hexagram is just a hexagram".
Edited by Kushanshah
09/26/2023 1:11 pm
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New Member
United States
7 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
7960 Posts |
Is 21 grams correct? I think that something made of gold that large from the ancient or early medieval world is next to non-existent. And, as kushanshah point out, this type of star is less likely to be symbolizing Judaism that just being a design element. It was also used widely on Merovingian and Anglo-Saxon coinage of northern Europe: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2999445https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5721749I agree with others it's more likely a jewelry piece than a coin. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1569 Posts |
Quote:
A typical gold test kit contains acids for 10k, 14k, 18k and 22k Not so. A typical 'school boy' testing kit includes acid for silver, 9ct, 14-22ct and steel/platinum.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1569 Posts |
You can buy kits that do 'everything'. I have tried them before and they are rubbish.  |
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Moderator
Australia
16851 Posts |
It's not a coin. I would assume it to be a modern zodiac medal. The stars arranged around the scorpion clearly indicate it is meant to be interpreted as the star sign Scorpio.
It almost certainly isn't "Jewish"; as noted above, the Seal of Solomon (which usually has a dot or star in the centre of the hexagram) is an occultic traditional symbol that predates the common use of the Star of David by the Jewish community.
If you google "gold scorpio medal" or "gold scorpio coin", you will find millions of little tiny gold scorpion medals very much like this one. They all have some kind of loop or attachment to be worn as a pendant, which this piece seems to lack; it may have been held in place by a bezel instead.
The black colouration worries me; 21k gold shouldn't turn black like that naturally. I suspect it may have been artificially "blackened" to try to make it look older.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Moderator
United States
34428 Posts |
@met, you will see that I have edited one of your posts from this evening to remove a personal attack. It is fine to disagree with another member, but please keep the discussion purely related to numismatics.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
Regarding my previous comment, I was speaking from personal experience working as a gold buyer for a number of years. My point was that typical gold kits include various reagents but nothing specifically for 21k. A very weak reaction to 22k acid might be interpreted by some as "21k" but most would default to the highest test unequivocally passed. I didn't think it necessary to discuss all possible items included in various metals testing kits. We used XRF analysis when warranted but on a day to day basis, I found acid-stained fingers preferable to radiation exposure.
Edited by Kushanshah
09/26/2023 9:40 pm
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Valued Member
United States
157 Posts |
There is nothing "Jewish" about this coin (or whatever it is), other than the hexagram (which as others have pointed out, means different things to different groups, whether Jewish, Muslim, metaphysical, North African, etc). In ancient/medieval Judaism, scorpions and snakes are sometimes used to symbolize places without G-d's law, so no Jewish minting authority would have ever put either on a coin or token. This item may be gold of one fineness or another, but it's certainly not of any "Jewish Heritage."
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Posted 09/26/2023 12:29 pm
