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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GDJMSP, post: 407659, member: 112&quot;]I have been searching for info on these coins for a couple of days now before commenting. I was intrigued by the coins for a couple of reasons - 1 they definitey have the design of the 4 maravedis, but they appear to be silver coins - no maravedis was ever struck in silver, they were copper. And 2 - Captnbob&#039;s comment that they were possibly purchased from &quot;SUPERIOR STAMP &amp; COIN CO.,INC on June 11-14 1973(still in their sleves).&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>With a respectable company being the assumed source of the coins one would be inclined to think the coins were genuine - but the silver look would seem to contradict that.</p><p><br /></p><p>Then we have the reference of Menzel provided by acanthite, this would also seem to help identify the coins as genuine. I don&#039;t have a copy of Menzel, but given the info provided and the reference of the dates provided I must question his accuracy for the following reasons.</p><p><br /></p><p>1 - On Feb. 28, 1538 Charles issued a decree prohibiting the coinage of gold &amp; copper in the colonies. No copper or gold coinage had yet been minted prior to that. </p><p><br /></p><p>2 - The actual minutes of meetings held by the town council of Mexico City still exist, the minutes show that the council discussed the desirability of copper coinage several times. And the minutes of the meeting held on July 30, 1540 show that different opinons were current. The minutes of April 17, 1542 show that copper coinage would not be struck. Then 10 weeks later the Viceroy countermanded this order and he authorized the minting of copper coinage on June 28,1542. Thus no copper coinage was ever struck in Mexico prior to that date. This obviously obviates the date reference of Menzel for the early series design of the second coin pictured.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now it is recognized that when the first copper coinage was struck the punches used to create the Early Series G, F and P of silver coinage were used to create the copper dies. And the design of the second coin clearly matches that of the Early Series. So it would certainly be possible and consistent with the records for such a coin to exist. But there is a bit of a problem. </p><p><br /></p><p>First of all, as I have already mentioned, no 4 maravedis coins were ever minted in silver. Also, there are only 2 examples of the Early Series copper coins even known to exist. So the appearance of another, and in silver yet, makes the coin highly suspect.</p><p><br /></p><p>The first coin that Captnbob pictured matches the design of the Late Series G coinage, it also could not have been minted until after 1542 and probably 1543, and that date, while it is within range of the dates referenced by Menzel, does seem to bring Menzel&#039;s range of 1539-44 into question.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now there were several different legends used with the Late Series copper, but there is only 1 that matches the legend of the coin pictured with the rest of the coins design features. And for that particular design there are only 3 examples known to exist. That coupled with the fact that the coin pictured is obviously not copper - again makes the coin highly suspect.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thus I can only conclude that the odds are highly in favor of both coins being fakes. Could I be wrong ? Certainly, but the evidence strongly suggests otherwise. Only an in hand examination by a recognized expert, I would suggest Rick Ponterio, could ever authenticate these coins.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>