Here is what I take to be a long-cross penny from Edward I or III (I can't tell the difference between the designs). Is it likely real, or does the grainy surface mean it might be a cast copy?
My guess would be yes it is cast. There are 3 things that are typical diagnostics for cast coins. 1 - signs of a seam along the edge someplace. 2 - and uneven granular surface that often has what look like small, circular pits either scattered about or sometimes in patches. 3 - small raised, circular bumps that resemble pimples scattered about or in patches. 2 & 3 of course are the result of casting bubbles with 2 being bubbles that popped and 3 bubbles that didn't pop. This coin has the last two. It may have the 3rd as well but it requires looking at the edge to see it of course. Now there's something to be aware of - a dug coin can sometimes have a look that is similar to a cast coin. This is due to corrosion from being in the ground. But corrosion can only create the pitted surface - it can not create the other 2 diagnostics. And corrosion is not limited to small circular pitting. The pits can be all shapes and sizes and will typically be found everywhere on the coin to some extent depending of course on how long the coin was in the ground, the type of soil etc etc. As collectors we need to be able to tell the difference between the look of a cast coin and a corroded coin.
Doug - you're wrong on one point. Conditions below ground CAN produce what appear like raise circular bumps. Its called horn silver, when silver leeches from coins and deposits on others. I think that's what is happening here. Of course, this kind of thing is tough to tell from the picture. But I've seen thousands of corroded and crystallized coins like this one. Plus, casting doesn't seem to be the preferred method for counterfeiting this type of coins.
Look at 11' on the reverse, next to the S in CIVITAS. The flaking there is much more consistent with a poorly preserved ground find that with a cast fake.
I would say this is real. I find lots of these metal detecting, in the hundreds of years they have laid buried they have been in soil, clay,silt, salt water or fresh water from flooding,exposed to natural and manmade chemicals, they have been crushed,bent and clipped from ploughing or building. I have never seen two alike. One sure way is a simple silver acid test, if it aint silver you will soon know.
Would such a test harm the coin? Thanks. If its not silver, it will bubble up green or milky white, depending on the metal it will either stain it or worst case damage it. If its silver the acid will not react and just wipe or wash off. Cheap acid gold/silver testing kits are availablle on eBay.
I thank all responders for your input. Wish there was a good, simple, non-destructive test for metal. One thought occurs to me, I don't know much about the cost of Edwardian pennies, but would it even pay to go to the trouble of casting one? At any rate it doesn't sound like a get-rich-quick scheme.
Every coin there is from the cheapest Lincoln cent to the most expensive coins have been counterfeited. And yes, that includes Edward pennies. The only way you'r eever going to knbow if it is or isn't is to send it to someone who has the ability to say for sure if it is genuine or not. Until that is done, all else is merely speculation.
... or somebody who thinks they have that ability? How does one acquire the ability? How to identify the people who have it?
There is a Society of Ancient Collectors. That would be a good place to start and get to know the who's who in the field. Even if there isn't a meeting of such in your area, you can always converse via the Internet. Ardatirion would be a good fellow to begin with. He has the best knowledge around here regarding ancients.
Thinking you have the ablity and having it are two different things. As for how you acquire it, you do so by study. Identifying those with the ability is usually done by others. Those others would be dealers or specialized collectors who acknowledge that a given person has that ability and are willing to accept their word that a given coin is genuine even when considerable money is involved. With coins like this a couple of groups come to mind who would have that recognized ability - Spink and/or CNG. Both companies have people on their staffs whose ability is not questioned. And there are undoubtably some other dealers in Europe who also qualify. But there won't be a lot of them. In the US, NGC and PCGS. And while I'm sure there are some specific collectors who would be trusted I really couldn't tell you who they are.
