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Is This A Real Gold Cob? Need Help Please!!

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New Member

United States
3 Posts
 Posted 11/13/2013  12:03 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add TonkaBar to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
Hi there, this coin/charm was left to me and I'm unsure of what it is, also if it's even real!! I did a little research and see that it is called a gold cob. ANY HELP would be appreciated!! Coin has a slight dip in it at bottom, and is set in a 14K yellow gold bezel/holder. Coin looks like it has cut out part of a word or saying on shield side.
Thanks for your help!!

Is-This-A-Real-Gold-Cob?-Need-Help-Please!!

Is-This-A-Real-Gold-Cob?-Need-Help-Please!!

Is-This-A-Real-Gold-Cob?-Need-Help-Please!!

Is-This-A-Real-Gold-Cob?-Need-Help-Please!!

Is-This-A-Real-Gold-Cob?-Need-Help-Please!!
New Member
USALargeCent's Avatar
United States
8 Posts
 Posted 11/13/2013  6:59 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add USALargeCent to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
If I had to guess... nope.
New Member
United States
3 Posts
 Posted 11/13/2013  8:41 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add TonkaBar to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
That's funny USALargeCent, I have gotten responses elsewhere stating that it is a 2 Escudo of Seville (Spain), Philip II reign, c. 1580 just today. Thanks anyways! I appreciate real help!
New Member
USALargeCent's Avatar
United States
8 Posts
 Posted 11/13/2013  9:22 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add USALargeCent to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
It's probably a jeweler's fake, which means it could still be real gold.
Pillar of the Community
alganbagerap's Avatar
United Kingdom
2490 Posts
 Posted 11/13/2013  9:36 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add alganbagerap to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Many coins are copied very faithfully for necklaces, pendants and rings. Either because they're attractive works of art or because the real coin would be far too rare/expensive to use as jewellery.
An alternative problem comes when real coins are used. They get handled, touched, caressed and even polished. After a hundred years or so of this type of treatment, it's hard to tell if it's a well made copy or a badly treated original.

This coin falls outside of my collecting area, but FWIW my guess would be real.
New Member
USALargeCent's Avatar
United States
8 Posts
 Posted 11/13/2013  10:03 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add USALargeCent to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
You could be right alganbagerap. I didn't account for the possibility that it could be polished.
Pillar of the Community
United States
1962 Posts
 Posted 11/14/2013  03:06 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add realeswatcher to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Firstly, the Philip II Seville 2 escudos attribution is correct. Furthermore, the design as seen is correct. This is either a genuine coin, or copied perfectly accurately FROM a genuine coin. Note that a Seville Philip II 2E (esp. clipped down like this seems to be - see below) is not particularly rare or expensive as far as gold cobs go.

I would ask the weight, and try to guesstimate what that bezel might weigh to try to ascertain whether that "could be" in the range for a legit 2E plus bezel (or too low, indicating a likely copy as casts are typically light)... However, note that you noticed that part of the words (i.e., the legend) looks cut off. That wouldn't be unusual at all - on LATER cob coinage (getting into the 1600s, where the planchet were often made chunky and too small for the design). However, most EARLIER pieces like this tend to be broader that this, not chopping off as much legend. Therefore, IF this is an original coin, it was almost certainly clipped down somewhat at some point... so estimating weight is difficult (though I might guess an original clipped like this would be around 5.5-5.6g without the bezel).

Now, what alganbagerap said about (genuine) coins used in jewelry and what happens to them is absolutely correct. Additionally, when dealing specifically with Spanish reales/escudos of this era (cobs or otherwise)... in addition to a lot of GENUINE pieces ending up in jewelry over the years, there are a LOT of jewelry REPLICAS out there. People LOVE the whole pirate-era, doubloons, pieces of 8, etc., etc. kitsch. So, after seeing so many silver and gold replicas of reales/escudos (produced and sold by outfits such as "Atocha Treasure Co.", and the Fishers themselves)... if you're not familiar with what you're looking at, you should almost assume guilty before innocent.

Now, I'm more familiar in assessing silver, whose surfaces I've simply seen more of in person and in photos (genuine material and replicas, of which I keep a database). I also find that they generally put more effort into crafting higher quality, more convincing casts for the gold "coins" as opposed to the silver... which only makes sense, as they are bigger ticket items.

Also, going back to the point about jewelry pieces taking a beating through wear and tear (and/or intentional polishing)... gold is softer than silver, and will catch more dings, scratches, etc... which further complicates assessing a genuine vs. replica for a gold cob in jewelry. As such, it's usually a lot easier (for me, at least) to know if a silver Spanish "coin" in jewelry is genuine or replica.

So that's a general quick and dirty of what goes into analyzing a piece like this... As far as this one in particular - I don't see anything that screams cast, but I wouldn't say "genuine" conclusively. The fact that it's clipped down so much is a point on the side of genuine (such clipping reduces any numismatic value, making it a more logical candidate to "waste" on jewelry).
New Member
United States
3 Posts
 Posted 11/16/2013  9:06 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add TonkaBar to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Thank you all so much!! I appreciate your time, advise and help!! :)
Valued Member
moneditis's Avatar
Spain
110 Posts
 Posted 11/24/2013  10:39 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add moneditis to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Without SG, weight and other data, just from photographs, I would say is a jewelry copy
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