LOL, Luvit! Yeah, and WEALTH can ONLY be created by what you pull out of the ground, farms, and intellectual properties... all other industries are derivative and dependent from those.
Yes, fourrees are usually silver over copper but there are gold over silver, gold over copper and very rare copper over iron. I really want one of the last. I once saw a Nero as that was hollow with the iron rusted away leaving about 3/4 of a copper shell. In Steve's defense, I am not aware of any fourree involving that red blooded straight shootin' (way up) North American nickel, the honest metal.
Cool posts Doug!! I wonder if anyone actually has the answer to your 'question'...or at least one that seems to be the most accepted interpretation. Dang it AL, now you have me googling 'substrate' and staring at Steve's 'reflection' on the edge of his coin. Jeez Steve, you lost weight.
LOL, OMG, Now I see why @stevex6 jumped all over me! I looked at the PICS, and did not see your notes above them... Duh! They are Fourees... cripes, I was worried that the Byzantine period went stupid by washing gold on pot metal, just like they did and the later Romans with Silver... As to my original question regarding gold wash/plating on a substrate...