Coin Community Family of Web Sites Join Thousands of Coin, Bullion, & Money Collectors
Royal Canadian Mint products, Canadian, Polish, American, and world coins and banknotes. Join Thousands of Coin, Bullion, & Money Collectors Shop for APMEX Bullion on eBay!Coin, Banknote and Medal Collectors's Online Mall Vancouvers #1 Coin and Paper Money Dealer 300,000 items to help build your collection! Specializing in Modern Numismatics








Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?


This page may contain links that result in small commissions to keep this free site up and running.

Welcome Guest! Registering and/or logging in will remove the anchor (bottom) ads. It's Free!

1896 Italian Coin | Eritrea

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.
Author Previous TopicReplies: 6 / Views: 2,829Next Topic  
Pillar of the Community
HippieOutcast's Avatar
United States
615 Posts
 Posted 03/10/2008  10:13 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add HippieOutcast to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
1896-Italian-Coin-|-Eritrea
1896-Italian-Coin-|-Eritrea

Measures about 39 mm in diameter.


I am confused with this item, and I have a few questions.

1. What is it?
2. Is it real? Or is it a reproduction?
3. Value of a real one? Value of a reproduction?
4. Metal content possibly?


Thanks in advance!
Edited by Sap
03/13/2008 03:36 am
Pillar of the Community
KurtS's Avatar
United States
5318 Posts
 Posted 03/10/2008  10:28 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add KurtS to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I don't know the particular coin, but I'll guess weight would determine authenticity.
As to the country of origin, the inscription says "Colony of Eritrea", which now has tentative independence n. of Ethiopia.

For a comparison, here's one from Heritage auctions:

1896-Italian-Coin-|-Eritrea

1896-Italian-Coin-|-Eritrea
Edited by KurtS
03/11/2008 02:12 am
Moderator
Learn More...
Sap's Avatar
Australia
16830 Posts
 Posted 03/11/2008  04:21 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Sap to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
quote:
I am confused with this item, and I have a few questions.

1. What is it?
2. Is it real? Or is it a reproduction?
3. Value of a real one? Value of a reproduction?
4. Metal content possibly?

1. Italian Eritrea, 5 lire / 1 tallero 1896, KM# 4.

2. I'm always reluctant to condemn a coin based just on a couple of pics, but I'd have to lean towards reproduction. It's very weakly struck up, and the fine details you'd expect to be present (in the hair, coat of arms, etc) are absent, in a way not consistent with simple wear.

3. Real ones in that condition (and the details are so weakly struck, it's hard to judge condition) CV $300-$600. Fakes? From China by the boxful, $1 each.

4. Real ones should weigh 28.125 grams of .800 fine silver. A fake might be silver, but the typical alloy from China is a high-lead, silver-free alloy.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
Edited by Sap
03/11/2008 04:26 am
Pillar of the Community
HippieOutcast's Avatar
United States
615 Posts
 Posted 03/11/2008  10:12 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add HippieOutcast to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I would have to lean towards reproduction coin then with this new information.

I really need to get my hands on a World Book for the 1700s and 1800s.
Moderator
Learn More...
echizento's Avatar
United States
23731 Posts
 Posted 03/11/2008  11:21 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add echizento to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I'd have to agree also it's a reproduction probably made in China.
Pillar of the Community
HippieOutcast's Avatar
United States
615 Posts
 Posted 03/11/2008  3:11 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add HippieOutcast to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
After glancing for awhile at the difference even in coloration, and the way the other picture is "aged", I would almost have to be 100% sure that it is a fake.

Shame, but oh well. Life goes on. I'm just glad I looking into it before I tried to sell it.

Thanks guys!
Pillar of the Community
KurtS's Avatar
United States
5318 Posts
 Posted 03/11/2008  3:41 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add KurtS to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Yes, there seems to be a similar tell-tale color with these pressure-cast pieces, and surely weight would determine a composition difference. I've looked at several of pressure-case fakes at dealers who kept them to compare to authentic coins. Aside from the actual details or lack thereof on the coin, there's always a notable difference in the surface, where the pressure-cast fakes show minute bubbles and pitting that would never be seen in a struck coin. As long as these fakes are made the same way, detection should be easy upon close inspection since there's no way to fake a struck surface except by recreating the original process. I'm not an expert in these matters...but I have educated myself a bit
Edited by KurtS
03/11/2008 3:44 pm
  Previous TopicReplies: 6 / Views: 2,829Next Topic  

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



    




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 © 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Forums
It took 0.35 seconds to rattle this change. Forums