Hammered Coin Question

Well, since mediaeval mints were not entirely unlike the conditions you've just described, it may not be obvious.

But their very nature makes it difficult for the mass-production counterfeiters to make mediaevals. The only way to make an authentic-looking mediaeval coin is with labour-intensive, authentic mediaeval tools and techniques. Needless to say, the mass-market fake makers in China and eastern Europe tend to target the moderns and ancients.

The other thing is, mediaevals are ugly; they rarely look good. Most of the fake mediaeval coins I've seen have been made as museum reproductions, using modern minting techniques or modern materials with authentic reproduction dies. The models these fakes were copied off are often the "finest known" examples; as a result, the fakes all look "too good to be true".

But the hardest thing for modern fakemakers to reproduce is the "style". Most of them just don't "look right". Your best defense, as with all Counterfeit Detection, is to become real acquainted with the real thing.

This old thread has an example of a fake mediaeval Viking coin. This fake just looks wrong, both stylistically and from a "too good to be true" aspect.

Since this is in the British section of the forum, I assume you're mainly interested in British/English Hammered. If you don't already have one, grab yourself a copy of Spink, or the now out-of-print Coincraft. Learn the different styles of art and lettering used on the coins of the various periods.

Don't forget to get one of these!





Still having fun playing with the super macro on the Olympus Stylus...

I bought this coin from an established dealer in the UK. I could not tell you why it is not a fake, and I am only trusting the dealer's judgement that it is real. These Commonwealth coins were counterfeited contemporaneously (these are VERY collectable - more so than even SwamperBob's fake pillar dollars), as well as in modern times, so caveat emptor.

These coins also represent the end of English hammered coinage. Parallel with this coinage, the Puritans in Massachusetts started to hammer out their own silver coins. No king, no royal mandate for coinage, though the colonial coins were lighter in weight than their English counterparts. The English pieces are expensive, but not by the standards of a Pine Tree shilling.

I bought the shilling from one of the onlinecoins.co.uk sellers for 120 pounds.

Looking back over the invoice, I received a 15% discount on that, so really 102 pounds, plus postage from the UK. The dealer was Andy Bruce, and they currently have nothing listed for sale.

In better condition the Commonwealth shillings sell for 300 pounds and up. The sixpence and half crowns are usually higher. Currently Berk has a very nice 1652 half crown listed for $1100:

https://www.harlanjberk.com/worldco...ins/text.asp

On the cheap side are the silver 1p and 2p, but they're not much to behold.

Excellent choices for type sets uouo77. I am rather partial to the larger coins of Elizabeth as well as James I and Mary.
You should have no trouble finding Elizabeth hammered shillings rather inexpensively, but if you come across a nice 'hammered' Anne, don't buy it (they do not exist; milled Anne only, sorry).

While you are digging through Elizabeth hammered coins, be sure to check out the first English 'milled' coins as well. These were also struck with the portrait of Elizabeth in 1561 by a horse driven screw press.
Production only lasted about ten years or so, because although the strike was far superior to a hammered piece, the process of hammering was much quicker, and wars needed to be financed, so for England, it was back to the dark ages of coinage for about another 90 years.

The last hammered coins were produced in 1663 during the reign of Charles II.

Well, so far I have only bought 2 hammered coins, both on the inexpensive side, but I like them.

I have a Edward I Penny and a Charles I Groat

I'm going slow before I put out the big bucks. It's always best to get you feet wet, before diving in.

These along with the rest of my collection is online at http://bills-stuff.net/

Zeewool, apologies for poor proof reading, my concern at the time was getting the *%^^^* pictures to load .It is indeed Charles I and dates 1638/9, but due to poor photo some of the details are obscured particularly the Prince of Wales feathers on the obv.
And also I've turned down prices consistent with an Aberystwyth coin from two major UK dealers.

As a side note, many coins of Charles I have a heavily worn obverse and I was told over 50 years ago by an historian that such coins may well have been devotional pieces. In England there is still the Society of King Charles the Martyr, and in the time of the Commonwealth a Carolean coin was often used as a surreptitious sign of devotion to the old regime and the kings head was rubbed, probably as much "for luck" as anything else.

Extremely interesting stuff, you guys! I just love hearing 'side notes' and other bits of information even more than witnessing the coin itself.
Thanks for the lesson!