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Replies: 6 / Views: 1,879 |
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New Member
United Kingdom
7 Posts |
Hello all, I got this coin a while ago, and have been trying to authenticate it myself. I think it looks ok, but the weight is quite concerning. The weight is supposed to be 6.79 grams. This one comes up as 5.99 grams. This could be because of the ware on the coin, and the whole on the top, but I'd still like a second opinion. Thanks in advance!  
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
945 Posts |
I can't see anything wrong with this, apart from the hole! Where did you get the expected weight from? My book on Scottish coins gives a weight range for Merks 1664 to 1675 of 5.6 to 6.5g, so you are well within range. (1675 to 1682 is 6.4 to 6.6g.) Book is the 1999 Coincraft book on the coins of Scotland, Ireland, Channel Islands & Isle of Man.
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New Member
 United Kingdom
7 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
They got silver refining up to a reasonable standard by the time this coin was minted, but not to the standard of what electrolytic refining can achieve.
Lettering and devices on reverse look a little 'mushy', but in this case, could be entirely due to wear.
Would XRF testing be of any help? Perhaps take it to a scrap gold buyer, they usually have access to a hand held XRF tester. Look in the analysis for trace impurities and metals, not for the purity of the silver. If there is a discreet alloy of copper and silver only, it is probably fake, if there is a tiny amount of random 'rubbish' in the alloy, (well less than 1%), it is probably genuine.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
945 Posts |
Ah - I suspect Numista got that figure from Krause, but that relates to the earlier issue - 1601 to 1604 - and that is a very different coin. Krause gives no weight for the 1664 to 1674 issue.
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Valued Member
404 Posts |
Looks good to me (I see a few familiar die diagnostics) - weight diff likely as a result of the hole. These are notorious for being all over the place in terms of weight and composition.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
The photo libraries of Krause and Coincraft may well be the same - they have the same publisher.
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Replies: 6 / Views: 1,879 |
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