My friend asked me to identify some cob coins. I've spent nearly 30 hours researching them and I'd like some feedback please. I am no expert and need some assistance.
This one was easier. I think this coin is a pillar & waves Spanish Colonial 1657-1773. 4 reales 1668 from Bolivia the Potosi mint. I went to Silvertowne and had it put on the xray gun to determine metal content. Metal Content: 94%Ag 5.4%Cu Mass 12.6g
Those somewhat familiar should immediately recognize that this is clearly a "non-regal" piece - not a genuine Potosi mint product.
It is of the style of what are usually blanket-termed "indigenous" imitations of Potosi cobs (and/or Lima... same style but Potosi were more plentiful/were made longer). Long story short, you have some pieces out there (and very often of the later dates, like with this "1768") that were actual contemporary counterfeits/imitations... made at the time when the target coins were still circulating, intended to fraudulently (or even sometimes semi-officially) pass as money.
However, many of this general crude "type" (indigenous, Indian, local, whatever you want to call them) are in fact modern (say last 50 years) cast replicas, tourist trinkets sold by Central American/Guatemala market peddlers. Similar to be the "contemporary" imitations noted above, many of these use later dates... 1760s-70s (have seen several bearing fictional later 1770s dates).
It can occasionally be difficult to discern "of that time" vs. modern without getting a lot of perfect photos and/or examining in hand, but to keep it simple here: Note that the denomination "8" is visible in two spots (one of which is misplaced, actually). Given how low weight it is (impossibly low to pass as an "8", in fact about right for a 4R... but again, clearly marked "8")... the extremely smooth perimeter... plus the fact that this "looks familiar" to me (though I can't find any match I've saved a pic of) - my guess is that it's a modern imitation. Perhaps several decades old... but NOT contemporary.
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