1844 Zs Om 8 Reales Fake Or Not?

hmm yeah something does look a tad odd about that coin. But it is also true that some older cap & ray 8s were a bit irregular or there were many varieties. But my guess is that if it doesn't sound like silver, then it probably is not. It is very sad, but there are many counterfeiters in China and elsewhere in the world who have targeted these coins.

ywan That coin is a very common counterfeit. There are three different eagles seen with that particular cap. This version is actually the "best" (most real) looking eagle. The coin is made of a white metal (sometimes but not always German Silver). The metal alloy uses a large percentage of zinc. They can be quite heavy (I own 3 that weigh between 27.6 and 28.0 grams) and since they are made of an alloy which is not as dense as silver - they are always too thick.

The feet in this case are the easiest feature to spot as being VERY incorrect - the toes are created from a series of round balls. The 1844 Zacatecas uses a far better looking bird with a far more natural look especially on the talons.

The coin is struck (Pressed might be a better term) from false engraved dies. The dies are hand engraved. The edge design is roller applied and usually resembles a series of CCCCCC's. I have never seen a casting of this particular type - all I have seen are strikes. Most copies I own contain enough zinc so that there are NO apparent flow lines either. Zinc is not a malleable metal so flow as seen in silver and copper does not occur. Zinc strikes are often confused with castings. While high in zinc I have only one that has zinc "blooms" at the surface which is indicative of nearly pure zinc.

As far as a date - it was not known to Riddell so it was made after 1845. The use of a high percentage of zinc also points to a later date. It is NOT in my opinion a Mexican product and it is unlikely to have actually circulated. The copies I own all came from the US. But the copies with the crude eagle are so bad that they must have been passed as tourist copies. I can not rule out an oriental source. Mexican silver was still used monetarily in China until 1933.

As I said it is a very common counterfeit - it often comes in high grades and is not too often seen with period cancellation marks. I do own one or two that are look old but it would not surprise me to discover that this coin was originally made between WWI and WWII.