Hi Everyone, So I recently bought this coin from an online estate auction. I did not really know what I was buying but I saw similar coins selling on ebay for more than what I was paying so I thought it was a good deal. When the coin arrived I was able to get a closer look at the certificate (they did not show it online). I now believe that this coin is very rare and I am trying to verify the following: 1) This a Phillip II 8 Reale Potosi from Assayer : R - Which would make it one of the first printed. 2) That this is not fake. 3) A value. This was the only similar coin I could find at auction: http://auction.sedwickcoins.com/Pot...xtremely-rare-first-dollar-of-Potos_i14157221 Does the fact that it is from the Atocha make it more valuable? Please see attached pictures.
Update So, after asking an expert they have verified that what I have is not a Philip II but a Philip III. Any advice on what I should do? I bought this at an auction.
Depending on what auction you bought it at there's probably not much you can do. The subject of Atocha coins has been discussed on this forum many, many times. You can look them up pretty easily. But the long and short of it is that even genuine Atocha coins are notoriously over-priced, just about everybody gets fleeced when they buy one, and fakes abound. It's all too easy to put about any coin, real or fake, with those papers and claim it is genuine. 999 out of a 1,000 people would never know the difference.
You can contact Mel Fishers Museum and research your cob by using its coin number. Some of these better cobs were casted and faked.Does your paper work come from Mel Fisher I don't see his signature in your pictures. It could of came with a cob card and a COA. can you image it out of the holder for a better look as the flip I can't see the details of the cob.
Thanks GDJMSP. I believe that the coin I have is real (at least it passes the sound and magnet test) but it is a very common Potosi coin. Whereas the one on the certificate would be very valuable. I guess I just lost out on this one...
Hi Paddy 54, Here is the certificate and coin (high res scans). Once I scanned these high res I started to notice slight differences between the coin in the certificate and the coin that I was given.
I would contact the auction and tell them that you received the wrong coin to the COA and from what you thought you had purchased.You are correct not the same as imaged on the coa. I am willing to bet they had more than one of these and got them mixed up , as I had a seller years ago whom had 3 and managed to send all 3 cobs to the wrong buyer! He did however get all 3 cobs back and then made the corrections. I would e mail them asap and tell them you expect them to refund or make good by sending the correct cob that matches your paper work. good luck keep us posted Paddy
BTW here's an image of my Atocha 8 reale and its coin tag as well a picture of Mel and crew ...youmay notice Jimmy Buffett also the day Mel found the Atocha.
See mine had a similar coin tag that matched the certificate- it has a barcode on the back. I am guessing that whomever consigned the coin probably passed it off as a fake. I contacted the auction house and hopefully they will get back to me. Otherwise I will call them on Monday.
