1812 8 Reale Counterfeit

wow, neat find!!! ... #1, the portrait is incorrect for the year 1812 ... that's Chas. IV's portrait, last year: 1808 ... should be Ferd. VII on the 1812s ... 1mm shy on the diameter ... & the weight is WAY low (27.7g / correct weight) ... have you had the metal tested? Is it silver, pewter, or lead?...
...Someone must have thought it genuine, as they holed, strung & wore it ... very cool find...let us know if you find what the metal content is ... thanks for sharing &

The counterfeit is listed on page 416 of my book "Counterfeit Portrait Eight-Reales" (2014). The Obverse die is A and the reverse is MoTH-001. There is a tiny chip on the top of the upper loop of the 2 which acts as an identifier for the coin. I know now of more than 50 copies of this type in debased silver, Sheffield plate, Copper, White metal (German Silver) and brass. It is a comparatively common counterfeit.

The history of this coin because it was dug in a known site is likely more valuable than the coin itself. Like shipwreck coins provenance can be very interesting to some collectors.

Do you know the history of site occupancy? How long was the site active? Date of abandonment? Was it in a trash dump? or well? How deep was it burried?