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 Replies: 12 / Views: 1,844 |
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New Member
Australia
8 Posts |
My grandmother gave me a little box of old coins her grandmother gave her as a kid. She has added to it along the way. Amongst the Indian Head pennies, etc. were these two California Fractional Currency Coins ... (pictured) 1/2 dollar round 1849 0.53g 1/4 dollar round 1856 0.38g  I sort of assumed the 1/2 dollar was a fake because the examples examples I have seen start at 1853, but you never know ... The 1/4 dollar I just don't know. PLEASE DISCUSS Also amongst the coins was a Spanish 8 Real Silver Dollar, very black with "environmental damage" as they say... but I will discus that elsewhere ...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1230 Posts |
Does a magnet stick to these and are you sure on the weight they seem extremely light .a 1/2 gram each that is way less than a modern cent
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Moderator
 United States
15409 Posts |
 to the CCF Take a look at my other hobby ... http://www.jk-dk.art |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
Tourist souvenirs. The bear and lack of the word dollar or dol. are the easy markers. None of the real ones was made in 1849.
Weight is not very useful on these coins, even with the real ones. They are typically 20-30% lighter than equivalent US gold. A real dollar California fractional weighs 1.1-1.2 grams, vs 1.6 grams for a US gold dollar. The fractionals also use debased gold. Your tokens are almost certainly plated brass.
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
Edited by thq
08/30/2023 08:41 am
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Moderator
United States
34397 Posts |
Quote:
The bear and lack of the word dollar or dol. are the easy markers Exactly. My go-to on these is to look for the bear. "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
@thq nails it. to the CCF! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2281 Posts |
Fake, the color and overall look of them give it away first
You realize when you know how to think, it empowers you far beyond those who know only what to think.
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
73951 Posts |
Definitely fake.
Errers and Varietys.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12057 Posts |
See a bear, buyer beware
All legitimate fractional gold issues will always have a denomination stated in dollars or fractions of dollars, stated as "dol." or "doll." or "dollar" or "dollars"
THQ knows the deal.
Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4233 Posts |
Did you grandmother travel to California? It seems like a popular state for Aussies to visit and I think a lot of these were sold in the gold mining tourist spots.
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Moderator
United States
95456 Posts |
huh, learn something new everyday, I do.
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New Member
 Australia
8 Posts |
My grandmother was FROM California ... and these would have come from the 1950s or earlier.
So, I assume these have no value at all, apart from novelty value?
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Moderator
United States
34397 Posts |
You could check ebay sold listings to get a better idea, but you should make a determination of whether they are a low K gold alloy or plated bronze. You could do a specific gravity test to get this information non-destructively. "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Replies: 12 / Views: 1,844 |
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Posted 08/30/2023 05:29 am
