Hello, the picture is barely visible on the coin. I will be attending an auction, and wondering about much much does this type of coin sell for? Early 1715 Silver cob 8 reales Any info would be appreciated. Thank You coin community.
If you are not familiar with cobs & shipwreck coins, then you may want to watch your auction rather than participate by bidding in it. Here is a link to Daniel Sedwick's website: https://www.sedwickcoins.com/ There is much that can be learned about cobs & shipwreck coins from Daniel's website. Good luck & have fun.
Absolutely spot on answers to your question. Surprisingly, these old Cobbs are not that hard to find and many are quite affordable. There are also very many fakes out there. Most are created as tourist trap gift items... But they get passed down to somebody that believes they are the real thing and marketed. The fakes are easy to spot though. Spend some time on Sedwicks site. You can be certain that anything he has for sale is the real thing. Enjoy, these old Cobbs are fun.
Do your research on this "International Mint". I've never heard of it. I suspect the COA is worthless. You will be much safer bidding in Sedwick's auctions for this type of material.
I too had reservations about the coa as again I've never heard either of the international mint. The fact that is is being auctioned with out being shown out of the flip is a sign to me that questions if it islegitimate. Most would have it out of the flip and also note what mint and essayer are on the cob.
I echo others' recommendations re this auction and Sedwick. The market is flooded with fake reale cobs. It really is best to wait for a trusted auction. I believe Sedwick are currently preparing for their next Auction in early May. They have an excellent online live bidding system, so it's easy and safe.
P.S. - the COA is crap. You don't even get the weight, size, or assayer. All of which is critical information.
I recently won this one so just as a point of reference, here's what you can get in the $250-300 USD range. A certified VF details with visible denomination, date, assayer, mintmark (most of these on both sides) and monarch name. I have seen many higher graded cobs with less visible details. For this type of coin, which often is missing details on at least one if not both sides, I prefer more visible detail versus a higher grade.
I don't put a lot of trust in a company that calls itself a "mint", but doesn't actually mint anything... but CofAs that is.
@moneditis, are you referring to the second picture, which I consider the obverse because it shows the issuing authority, Philip IV? It has an unusual die wear pattern -- many design elements are thicker as if they are more worn, whereas a few areas show less wear (like the PHI in PHILIPVS). Since macuquina planchets were usually very irregular in thickness, I assume that might result in uneven die wear. What do you think?
