Is This 1561 6p Real? - Coin Community Forum

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

Author	Replies: 5 / Views: 1,752
sg93 Valued Member 294 Posts	Posted 10/31/2014 10:05 am I think I already know the answer for myself, but at the time I was bidding the seller had no way of measuring its weight, and the coin was unusually sharp, but I thought I'd take a chance and got it at a price I think would be impossible to get one for usually, even in a well circulated state. it weighs 2.68g, which I believe is quite well below the average? another thing about my small collection of hammered british coins is that some of those I got in a lot supposedly from a metal detecting find also sound as plasticky as this one does, with the rest sounding like silver should. I guess I already know the verdict, but if anyone could chime in on its possible origin and how common it is to encounter such sharp replicas, that'd be great. Report this Post to the Staff

NumisRob Bedrock of the Community United Kingdom 17946 Posts	Posted 10/31/2014 12:45 pm Hard to judge from the photos, but this looks real to me. The combination of a fairly sharp reverse and a weak portrait is common on these coins. My Trade List: https://goccf.com/t/194596 My Wants List: https://goccf.com/t/191710 Report this Post to the Staff
Tom Goodheart Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 856 Posts	Posted 11/01/2014 07:59 am I also think it looks real enough. As to the weight, well the ideal would be closer to 3g but with hammered coins there is a fair amount of variation. 2.68 isn't so far out. And the sound test? I've never really got that. All my coins are genuine. Some ring if you flip them, some don't. I'm not convinced it's a very reliable way to tell myself. And the final thing? Replicas do exist but the ones I've seen are all much thicker and obviously copies. Yours doesn't have the characteristics of a modern copy and is, to my eyes, too good to be a contemporary one. Nice find IMHO! Report this Post to the Staff
sg93 Valued Member 294 Posts	Posted 11/02/2014 10:39 pm Ah yes I completely forgot about the problem with weak portraits on the old hammered coins, although I think my limited knowledge of these coins led me to think that only the Charles I coins suffered from this problem. Wouldn't all silver give off their trademark ring if they were real and of the same purity though? at least I've not had enough experience with pre-milled coins to know. Thanks, it's my first Elizabeth I 6p and I like it very much. By the way, what's the greatest weight deviation possible on these hammered coins? could they possibly go as far as 1/2 to 1g off? Report this Post to the Staff
Tom Goodheart Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 856 Posts	Posted 11/06/2014 5:44 pm I may be totally wrong but I thought I'd read that the ring depends on the crystalline structure within the metal which changes with time. Quote: By the way, what's the greatest weight deviation possible on these hammered coins? could they possibly go as far as 1/2 to 1g off? You don't say which denomination. My feeling is anything much over 10% is suspect for a shilling. So that would be around 0.6g below. (Above? More like 0.3g max. Shillings are ideally 6g) But you'd not expect larger denominations such as silver half-crowns to lose as large a percentage unless they are clipped. Sixpences? A quick check of a selection of those of Charles I show weights from 2.72-3.21g if that helps? . Report this Post to the Staff
sg93 Valued Member 294 Posts	Posted 11/09/2014 11:14 pm ok, that's something I could learn about silver too. I hadn't considered that even coins left undisturbed might still be affected by time. So mine just falls a little short of that range. Is it common for certain years of Elizabeth I coins to survive as well preserved as mine has? 1561 is just 3 years after her ascension to the throne so maybe some people were still keeping some coins as keepsakes? By the way, how much should one expect to pay for a specimen like mine ideally? I'm afraid my only prior experience with buying early british coins was as a lot of various denominations and reigns. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 5 / Views: 1,752

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

All Forums Category: World Coins and Currency Forums Forum: United Kingdom (Great Britain) Coins

The First Dollar, your premier source for bullion and rare coins. See our bullion list on the site and the coin inventory on ebay.

Silver Gold Bull US is the United States leading bullion dealer. We deliver gold coins, gold bars, silver coins, silver bars and precious metals to your door. Order today!

View Last 100 New Topics

View Last 100 Active Topics

Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us | Advertise Here | Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum

It took 0.3 seconds to rattle this change.