1765 Spanish 2 Reales - has a strange edge

Hi - any thoughts about the edge on this 2 reales? I collect counterfeits so I am fine with it being one. I would prefer it to be contemporary though. Anyone ever seen anything like this? I purchased it in a lot of Spanish silver. All the other coins appear legit.

It is about 25mm and 6.4g.

Thanks

 

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Don't worry. It's a genuine coin.

 

I have consulted Frank Gilboy's book on Columnario coinage: he does not cite a plain-edge 2-Reales pieces for the year 1765 for the Mexico mint.

The only thing you may have to go by is the weight: For the Mexico mint, an incirculated 2-R was supposed to weigh 6.64 grams. An average weight for examples in VF from Mexico is 6.4805 grams. Since your example weighs a little less, and is about F/VF one conclusion maybe that the edge was shaved-off for some purpose (maybe to fit in a bezel for use as jewelry?).
Hope this helps a little.

 

Doug:
Because of the rim?

 

I like fakes! Really I do. Find them much more interesting. But I don't like modern fakes. So I am hoping if this is a fake that it is an old one. But as it seems some here think it is legit I would love to hear more thoughts on it.

I would have thought they made these coins by stamping planchets of uniform silver alloy... I don't understand all the layering showing on the edge if it is a genuine issue?

 

I'm inclined to say it is a legit coin whose edge has been manipulated. The weight is in range for a F/VF coin of Mexico city, and most of all the 'fabric' of the coin seems genuine. If it was a plated or layered coin, the weight would not be in range. The overall appearance, style of lettering and digits, compares favorably to similar coins shown by Gilboy in P. 104.

 

The edge looks like a modern clad US coin that's taken an acid bath, where the copper has been eaten away more than the nickel outer layers. Also, it kind of looks like it could have been put in a bezel.
So I don't know if it's a fake or not, or what's up with the edge. But those are two examples of coins I've seen with similar edges.

 

i have to agree with doug. that rim says fake, imo.

 

Another version: it maybe an old fake (from XVIIIth century)...

 

I'd actually rather it was something like that than genuine

Thank you all for the replies. I have read and am considering all of them.

The bezel idea is interesting!

Eduard - a crazy idea I had about this coin as I was studying it. They somehow sliced a genuine coin in half. Shaved off some (and retained as the profit) of the internal silver and added a base metal core - to get a good weight - then attached the genuine faces to it. Seems like a lot of effort though...

 

Looks like a cast counterfeit, no die struck coin would have edges like that.