World Coin Help Needed. - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 8 / Views: 1,600
johntookit Pillar of the Community United States 589 Posts	Posted 01/17/2016 8:25 pm World coin from a friend of mine. Is it real or copy because it looks like a cast coin to me. more information on the coin the better. Thanks Report this Post to the Staff

jjwabraham Valued Member United States 288 Posts	Posted 01/17/2016 9:24 pm It looks like a cast copy. Look closely for a small word "COPY" stamped in for one of the legal fakes. Touch a magnet to it to see if it is plated steel fake. These are faked many ways by many different entities. Report this Post to the Staff
denco7 Pillar of the Community United States 2543 Posts	Posted 01/17/2016 9:45 pm It is a 1749 Philip 8 reale from the mexican mint (mo). Whether it is a copy or genuine, remains to be seen. The first test would be to weigh it. It should weigh 27g. The picture shows a bit of a casting line in the middle of the edge, it could just be the light , but that is a sure sign of a cast fake. These were the "pirate pieces of eight" so many cast souvenier copies are about. Weigh it as a first step. Where did you get it? EDIT: Sorry, mis-read it, it is a 1745 Philip 8 Reale Edited by denco7 01/17/2016 9:54 pm Report this Post to the Staff
johntookit Pillar of the Community United States 589 Posts	Posted 01/17/2016 11:54 pm Quote: Look closely for a small word "COPY" stamped in for one of the legal fakes did not see any. Quote: These were the "pirate pieces of eight" so many cast souvenier copies are about. Weigh it as a first step. Where did you get it? Will weigh it when I get home tomorrow. Said he had it for over 30 years while he was oversees. Just trying to get him as much information as possible. Thanks Report this Post to the Staff
nelson9225 Valued Member 270 Posts	Posted 01/18/2016 10:19 am the coin looks like it has been cast. look at the ridgeline on the edge of the rim Report this Post to the Staff
jpbone Pillar of the Community United States 1959 Posts	Posted 01/18/2016 10:35 am This one isn't even a close call. It is fake. Report this Post to the Staff
denco7 Pillar of the Community United States 2543 Posts	Posted 01/18/2016 11:50 am Don't write this off yet. These were very crudely minted and traveled the world as the preeminent trade currency for two centuries. To the non expert, many off these have the look of a crudely made cast copy. A center ridge line is a sure indication of a cast copy. But if you look further up on your edge pic, the ridge seems to disappear, the ridge may just be a shadow. Again weigh it, if it is significantly lighter than 27g then at least you can be sure. Also, these were edged separately by rolling them through straight edged dies. Examine the edge for an overlap of the edge pattern. If no overlap is present, that is also an indication of a fake. Don't be too quick to write this off just because some non experts say it "looks" fake. There are many types of these coins, genuine, counterfeit, contemporary counterfeit, cast ..... Take it step by step. Look for the ridged edge, look for the overlap of the edge pattern and weigh it. If genuine, these can go for any where from $100 to over $1000 for higher grades. Report this Post to the Staff
swamperbob Pillar of the Community United States 5362 Posts	Posted 01/19/2016 01:22 am The coin is a FAKE - more correctly a numismatic forgery made to defraud collectors or a replica made for tourists. Absolutely zero doubt. The edge shows a clear seam. The segments in the two halves do not align correctly. Regarding weight - do not be misled - weight alone is NEVER enough to prove authenticity. A coin that is underweight is proven to be a fake but a weight of 27 grams is no guarantee. Forgers have scales too. A lower density metal can be used if you increase the volume of the coin. That is why density (weight divided by volume) is so critical to authentication. If the density is 10.31 at least you can be reasonably sure the coin is actually silver. This coin is a casting that dates back to the time of the Vietnam war. They were sold to unsuspecting soldiers in a variety of venues but normally as "discoveries" made by people who didn't know what they were selling (kids old women etc.). The price was usually a few cents so the soldier (or tourist) believes they were getting a real bargain (dollar sized silver coin) for a few cents. The buyer does not look too close for fear of causing the price to go up (buyer's motivation is GREED). The coins are of course worthless base metal. The same scam occurred during WWII and is still on going in many tourist destinations in the third world. I have seen it taking place many times in my travels and I always marvel at the gullibility of the "marks" who eagerly buy this stuff. I love to watch the real pros at the scam. The best operator I have seen was the 5-6 year old kid in Honduras that I have written about before. Keep your eyes open - know what genuine coins look like and always be suspicious of bargains. They rarely are real. Report this Post to the Staff
johntookit Pillar of the Community United States 589 Posts	Posted 01/19/2016 3:28 pm Quote: Again weigh it, if it is significantly lighter than 27g then at least you can be sure. Also, these were edged separately by rolling them through straight edged dies. Examine the edge for an overlap of the edge pattern. If no overlap is present, that is also an indication of a fake. Quote: The coin is a FAKE - more correctly a numismatic forgery made to defraud collectors or a replica made for tourists. Absolutely zero doubt. The edge shows a clear seam. The segments in the two halves do not align correctly. now I can tell him that this coin is fake without any doubt. Thanks for all the help. Report this Post to the Staff
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