Here are some photos of a MD find on Wrightsville Beach I was sent for identification. It appears to be a silver 8 Reales that are found here on occassion especially after dredging. I have not seen it in hand yet and these are the best pics he could take. He seems to think it is gold but I have never seen them found here in any other metal than silver and can't find a similar "gold" one online. Any ideas?
It's definitely not gold, and am reasonably certain it's not silver either. Looks like a modern reproduction to me.
I have this one. It really did come off a beach in southern South Carolina shortly after hurricane Hugo brutalized our state. Now, I am not an expert on these and in fact this coin led me to join CT as I wanted to learn about it. What I do know is that recovered gold that isn't encrusted with sea critters still retains it's gold appearance. Silver coins like mine tend to blacken in appearance. I am more like @GDJMSP and am not comfortable with the way the piece represents itself.... But then again, I don't really see the obvious casting markers either. I believe if he truly dug it up detecting, it merits further investigation. I would probably send an image via email to Daniel Sedwick at the very least.
Those Spanish silver doubloons make great jewelry. I've seen where they put them in a gold holder to be worn with a necklace. Their irregular shape when wrapped in gold is a nice look. My wife has been "hinting" about getting one.
A doubloon was a very specific coin, a Spanish, or Spanish colonial, gold 2 escudo. The silver coins were pieces of eight, four, two, one, or one half reales.
