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 Replies: 8 / Views: 1,547 |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1949 Posts |
So I decided to dig into my box of coins that needed some further research today, and dug out these...     I believe these are all contemporary? I find it fascinating how crude the India and Italy ones are... |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2490 Posts |
The two "Spade Guinea" types are not so much forgeries as fantasies. They were made as card counters or gambling tokens and for the most part had dates that did not coincide with the reign. So, the argument went how can you forge a coin that did not exist?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5362 Posts |
Counters, jetons and similar things are part of an interesting sub-group which at some times were reused as money by crooks. Similar to buttons the base metal counters were often silvered or gilded to pass as if they were real. I place them in Class 4 Other because they were not initially made for fraud. In that they differ from Class 3 Numismatic Forgeries which were specifically made to fool collectors.
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Valued Member
United States
262 Posts |
The Isabel II 10 Escudos caught my eye. I have a couple of these as well. These were contemporary counterfeits that were originally coated with gold to pass as the 10 escudos coins. Most, such as the one you have there, are easily identified as counterfeit.
My current curiosity is with the holes. While many counterfeits of all kinds were holed and worn in some fashion, I find it curious that every one of this kind (with base metal core) I've seen has a hole at one edge. I suspect that merchants or banks of the day may have routinely drilled these holes in counterfeits they encountered in circulation. If anyone can point me to evidence that supports or disproves this theory I would greatly appreciate it.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
807 Posts |
In The Royal Mint Reports, I encounter mentions of highly deceptive counterfeits of Isabel II gold, as well as of British sovereigns, made from platinum. I also encounter mentions of "Cumberland Jacks" being made as late as the 1870s for the use of people trying to pass them off as sovereigns. In the Philippine Civil Code established under US administration, bankers who received counterfeit coins were required to "break" them immediately, in the sight of the person who brought them in, using a hammer & chisel. |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1949 Posts |
The 10 escudos is an interesting piece, it is fairly dense, but I am not sure the metal composition...
PUBLIUS, that is very interesting with the Philippine Civil Code, were counterfeits a large problem under the U.S. administration? I think I have only seen one contemporary example, an early Peso...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1757 Posts |
JDERM my new book due out in 2017 will answer many of your questions?
Although foreign CCs is a vast field each country say post 1500-beyond in Europe and Asia has its prizes.
I will illustrate about 100 examples ... in this mix I think MOST? people will begin to see the alloys responsible for their pieces and will hint these period CCs are true collectibles.
All great collections SHOULD HAVE an associated grouping of CCs. The recent China Syndrome of CCs of modern forgeries has hurt this area since MORE expertise is now needed.
John Lorenzo
Numismatist
United States
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1949 Posts |
John, looking forward to the upcoming book- I think the alloy analysis will be quite interesting... Every time I purchase a large world grouping, I always seem to end with a few, I have a fairly modest stash, but it is growing... Here are a couple of other interesting ones...   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1757 Posts |
Its wide open with opportunities ...
JPL
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Replies: 8 / Views: 1,547 |
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Posted 04/16/2015 11:49 pm
