Hi, I'm new to this forum : ) Had these two english silver sixpences for a couple of months now and there is always this uneasiness in me whenever i see these two coins. i feel that they're forgeries. i tried to scratch a little from the edge and the inside is silver in colour too (don't scream at me, i know its very stupid of me to scratch a coin but i can't help myself). dare not scratch it too severely though. not sure if the electroplating is thick or its really real. bought the second one thinking i can compare them but they both aren't convincing at all. there are very fine "W"s on the shield that i personally think its not possible to copy but again, i don't know, modern technology is disgustingly impressive. the colour isn't convincing too. sorry i haven't got the gadgets to test for silver or any weighing machines to give you guys more details on it. i'll try to provide good pictures then. it was taken nearest to the original colour with natural lighting. please take note of the inner parts of the ears. they look fake. so my dear forum experts, please help me on these two. let me know if what i have are real? many thanks in advance!! adrian
Sorry, I know nothing about these. Invest in a scale. They are so inexpensive now and it would take away some of the doubt. There's a collector or two of these on this site. Hang tough, someone will be able to help you out.
A scale is only effective in catching the lowest quality counterfeits. Much better to learn to recognize the methods of manufacture, particularly casting. IF these are fake, they are good ones. The first one has no signs of casting and exhibits appropriate wear patterns. The second is odd, though. The numerous dings make it difficult to pick any possible casting bubbles out. And the reverse is odd. But this is all most likely evidence of a ground find, especially when you consider that it has been cleaned.
The first one has absolutely been mounted as jewelry but appears to be genuine. The second, as mentioned, is either a ground find or a cast fake. Either is possible and one is just as likely as the other.
oh my, you guys are brilliant! i definitely can't tell! have been looking through mountains and continents of pictures and i just can't learn! i can confidently assume that the second is a genuine now because i got it from a metal detecting finds seller, so its definitely a ground find : ) thanks guys!
Well not really. Lots of fakes are found in the ground because when the owner discovers they are fake they often throw them away - like toss them out into a field. But I'd say that it's 8 to 5 that it is real. It's just not positive.
