Greeting, my son found this token while plowing garden. we believe it to be pewter, the weight of 22.8 grams. lot of marks/dings from gravel, some lettering mashed flat. we have examined coin/ rim looking for COPY ,and no cast seams. we have our doubts of authenticity based on rarity, have found coins as early as 1802 at this site. hoping you might shed some light on what to look for in spoting reproductions, also the possibility of it being authentic? my apology for LARGE crude pic, wanted to show close-up of worn ,battered token ,real or not. Thanks, ozarktravler
I doubt this coin is genuine but if it is its value could be in the thousands of dollars. I would recommend that you take it to a trustworthy coin dealer for an opinion. He should be able to determine if it is a common counterfeit or replica. If he thinks it could be genuine then I would suggest that you have it submitted to one of the top 4 coin grading services for authentication - PCGS, NGC, ANACS or ICG. One big word of advice - DO NOT CLEAN THIS COIN!!! If it is genuine you could reduce its values several hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars.
I rather think he's already cleaned it Hobo. You can compare your coin to those pictured - HERE - but it doesn't match up very well. Although they do not show all the varieties on that page.
Under normal circumstances, I would usually say that the coin is a countefeit due to the porousness of the surfaces! However, considering that it came out of the ground and I am not to keen on how a dirt environment effects pewter (if that is what is made of), then I would have to say to take the coin to a very reputable Coin Dealer or a TPG's table at a Coin Show. Frank
Thank you for replies, obvious I'm new to the hobby & based on rule of thumb, rarity equals doubt in my situation. As for abrasive cleaning, we only washed off the mud & did so ever so gently. coin was wet when photo taken plus camera flash made it look as would a silver coin. will take your advice & have some-one to examine. Many thanks, ozarktravler
Does anyone know how well pewter holds up in the ground? Will it easily corrode? It doesn't look like a copper cent that's been in the ground for 100 or more years so I'm wondering if pewter is more resilient than copper? Ribbit Ps: Love the coin :thumb: even if it turns out to be a copy!
It's hard to say how pewter would hold up because it is a general term for a range of alloys of varying compositions. It's like the term "white metal" it could be a lot of different things. I can't say for sure that this one is a fake, (because I haven't done any comparisons) but it looks a lot more real than the typical cast copy that turns up.
perfect copy of continental 1776 Grrrrrrrr! people i have a real copy of a fugio continental dollar. Compare whit this. This don't have any value.:headbang:
I know I wish it was me that found it! Fake or not, it sure would plug a hole in my collection. :thumb: Ribbit Ps: OzarkTraveler - where is the garden? Area?
