Real Die, Fake Die Or Stamp? Found Metal Detecting

Looks like a transfer impression to me - an impression in metal of a real coin. The most common method was impact transfer using a shotgun shell as the force. The coin (or half a coin) is mounted on a steel rod and the assembly is fired into a smooth metal surface. They use a cylinder to contain the explosive force. The impression of the coin is transferred to the metal "reversed" creating a die. This "die" is often too soft to be directly used as a coin striking die but some were. Soft steel can be used with copper or silver coins. The steel can be hardened for striking. These transfer impressions can also be used to cast copies. They can make good copies in this way but the impression is weak or stretched at the edges and stronger at the center - depending on the strength of the sheet of metal.

That said I wonder how it would be used. I noticed that the backing appears to be slightly larger than the coin impression. I don;t know why but perhaps it fir into the other side of a mold pair.

In this case, the description of the metal is the thing that makes no sense. Lead is not used even in most molding applications because it melts at too low a temperature. It is also far too soft for striking.

Perhaps this negative image was used to make a copper deposition positive shell which could then be backed up with a harder material that could then be used to make ceramic or plastic molds. Coopper is more heat restistant than either lead or white metals and can be backed up with white metal to make a striking die.

I am not 100% sure of the legality of owning a "forgery artifact" but I suspect no one cares in this case. But legality asside - counterfeit dies (old ones) can be of significant value. I have seen earlier versions from the 1880s sell for well over $100.

Just be careful how you sell it. With ebay, their rules on counterfeits are VERY strict and just because you properly identify what this artifact may be - they could terminate the auction.

I would guess $50 to $100.

why would someone want to counterfeit a 1 centavo coin, even back in 1903?

jfransch The KM 394 was made 1899 to 1905. That coin uses the older style eagle like the one on the Peso of the same era. The coin you are thinking of is the KM 415 with the more modern looking bird which was on the peso in the 1920s to 49s.

In 1903 a centavo was still worth something. There was a very common forgery of the US cent dated 1893 that was discovered in 1895 or so. It would be a similar profit to cost ratio as the Henning nickel in the 1950s.

This thread REALLY caught my attention...I have seen copper blanks right next to counterfeits in Hacienda detecting finds.

I live in amongst many haciendas and many of them are still active. I can easily imagine a laborer holed up in a back corner of the hacienda creating counterfeits. Depending on what part of the country your hacienda is in, copper in the area might have been EXTREMELY low cost. If the materials for casting are on hand (example sand, clay etc) I would not be surprised to see them make counterfeits.

I can easily imagine what you have is a die used to make an impression for one side of a cast copy process. The lead would act as a shock absorber to prevent a "shadow" or "double strike" impression that would happen with a harder metal that would bounce. The sides are smooth like the side of the centavo and the "mushroom" rim of the top would help the craftsman know how deep to make the impression.

Just my 2 centavos worth.