Posted 12/24/2014 2:38 pm
I see some serious problems here. I would avoid the coin but can not categorically state (from a photo alone) that it could not be real. The biggest problem is that the seller refers to the stamp as spurious. So I wonder why anyone would bid over $100 for a forged stamp. Makes me worried that we will soon see the coin resold as genuine.
There are two reasons to avoid a coin like this even when the seller is not as forthright.
The host was a cull coin. There was a drill hole through the C in Carolus which is quite obvious and the coin has an edge cut (the restorer did not put the C back but did a good job on the shield side). There are also some odd round spots at the top of the King' head - either partial drill holes or other repaired damage. These could be deep punch marks based on the extra dot near the crown.
The drill hole near the date is in the wrong position for suspension of the stamp itself. Because of that I see the hole as unrelated to the stamp. As such the coin is or was a junk box item until recently. Because of that I, like Ralf, am very concerned it could be a modern stamp. The actual value is ONLY the stamp and the use of a 1 Reale as host is not a well addressed topic.
The next issue is the wear on the coin that occurred before and after the stamp was applied. If you notice the stamp was not applied perpendicularly to the coin face but tilted (a rather normal characteristic). This means that the deepest features on the obverse and the highest features on the reverse are opposed to one another. The protected area of the host preserved no crushed outline of the eye socket or hair as I would suspect it should. The high points of the stamp preserve the mouth but none of the other traces I would expect to see if the coin was not worn to this state before the stamp was applied. I also believe some damage to the bust crosses the stamp perimeter. On the opposite side there is scant evidence of post stamping wear. The high point should be worn smooth but is not.
I see the stamp as being applied AFTER the coin was badly worn and as likely being applied after the holes were drilled and repaired. That is what the pictures are saying to me.
I have no idea as to who the high bidders are but there were four in the fight above $100 and none are rank novices to ebay. All in all it makes me wonder if we are dealing with flippers intent on defrauding their next customer. The coin has a price that is unreasonable for a pure gamble.
There are two reasons to avoid a coin like this even when the seller is not as forthright.
The host was a cull coin. There was a drill hole through the C in Carolus which is quite obvious and the coin has an edge cut (the restorer did not put the C back but did a good job on the shield side). There are also some odd round spots at the top of the King' head - either partial drill holes or other repaired damage. These could be deep punch marks based on the extra dot near the crown.
The drill hole near the date is in the wrong position for suspension of the stamp itself. Because of that I see the hole as unrelated to the stamp. As such the coin is or was a junk box item until recently. Because of that I, like Ralf, am very concerned it could be a modern stamp. The actual value is ONLY the stamp and the use of a 1 Reale as host is not a well addressed topic.
The next issue is the wear on the coin that occurred before and after the stamp was applied. If you notice the stamp was not applied perpendicularly to the coin face but tilted (a rather normal characteristic). This means that the deepest features on the obverse and the highest features on the reverse are opposed to one another. The protected area of the host preserved no crushed outline of the eye socket or hair as I would suspect it should. The high points of the stamp preserve the mouth but none of the other traces I would expect to see if the coin was not worn to this state before the stamp was applied. I also believe some damage to the bust crosses the stamp perimeter. On the opposite side there is scant evidence of post stamping wear. The high point should be worn smooth but is not.
I see the stamp as being applied AFTER the coin was badly worn and as likely being applied after the holes were drilled and repaired. That is what the pictures are saying to me.
I have no idea as to who the high bidders are but there were four in the fight above $100 and none are rank novices to ebay. All in all it makes me wonder if we are dealing with flippers intent on defrauding their next customer. The coin has a price that is unreasonable for a pure gamble.
