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 Replies: 6 / Views: 3,748 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
819 Posts |
This is a coin that I picked up a little while back (and completely forgot that I had!) I chose it because of the countermark on it, thinking that I could decipher what it was. However, I have had absolutely no luck on that part whatsoever. I know the coin is Spanish, copper, in the name of Phillip III, 1601, and minted at 'C' mint, which I think is Cuernca. What I have found out is that the copper coins of the early 1600s were very commonly countermarked by the following monarch of Spain, Phillip IV. Either way, the coin is in pretty decent shape for being over 400 years old.  Image:  1601-Maravedis-002.jpg12.87˙KB  Image: 1601-Maravedis-001.jpg12.81˙KB Edited by ElleKitty
08/14/2008 4:27 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3499 Posts |
Yes, that is indeed a Spanish One Maravedi. Rather nice looking coins. You are right that these are often counterstruck. The reason for this typically had to do with revaluing of the coins. Often the new denomination was struck onto the coin as a roman numeral. So this "C" counterstrike may actually indicate that it was revalued as 50. But 50 of what I am not certain.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
A superbly nice looking coin. It looks a lot better than any of my cruddy cobs. I'll have to start looking for some of these.
I also like your new avatar, which I assume is denominated in yen. It's hot here today. I may yet be inspired to put on my Hello Kitty "Joie de Vivre" ice cream eating shirt, go for a walk and get a cold treat.
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
819 Posts |
Thank you both. I do like this coin, it's so interesting. Sometimes I worry that it may not be genuine as it looks too perfect. I think I'm just being paranoid though, as I have no other indications the coin may not be genuine.
And, Thank you! My avatar is actually the gift from the last Holiday Gift Exchange, from our very own mod Tights24. :D The coin is from the Monnaie de Paris, and the denomination is 2 1/2 euros.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3499 Posts |
ElleKitty- Don't worry at all about this being a fake. I own a few of them and I have seen tons while in Spain. In fact low grade examples in junk boxes over there. So there really would be no incentive to forgers to counterfeit it.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
819 Posts |
Whew, that's a relief to know, actually; although I wouldn't put anything past the copiers in China at this point. I have another copper maravedi from a bit later- the 1660's. It's a portrait type maravedi, but it is in far worse condition than this one above. The edges seem to have been clipped so much that the fourth digit of the date is missing completely. It's still a nice coin though.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3499 Posts |
Yeah, I think that this would be rather low on the counterfeit list since I have a few examples in VF or so without any counterstamps that I got for under $10. Plus it is rather hard to counterfeit a convincing counterstrike that looks like a good strike of the stamp and still retains certain original features under the stamp. But I do understand the worry since, as a friend of mine once put it, "if it exists, people in China will try to counterfeit it." It should be noted that this quote is primarily in reference to higher value coins.
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Replies: 6 / Views: 3,748 |
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Posted 08/17/2008 1:08 pm
