Here's some Mexican Reales in both Silver and Brass. Does anyone know why this is? Mexico - 1 Real - 1826 Go MI KM372.6 - 0.0981oz Ag Mexico - 1 Real - 1862 Go YE - Brass Mexico - 1/2 Real - 1858 Go PF KM370.7 - 1.6900g - 0.9030Ag - 0.0490oz Mexico - 1 Real - 1856 Ga JC - Brass
Here's another: Mexico - 25 Centavos - 1880 Zs KM406.9 - 6.7680g - 0.9027Ag - 0.1965oz Mexico - 25 Centavos - 1886 Zs S - Brass
And another odd sort. Though not silver one is obviously a cast forgery. But why? Mexico - 1/4 Real - 1833 Mo KM358 - 7.0000g - Copper - 27mm Mexico - 18?? (1835?) - 1/4 Real Copper - Cast
One of many fake cobbs found by my grandfather on his ranch in Mexico in the late 1940's. Consider worthless by him, he gave these to my aunts, uncles and older cousins to use as play money. They are fakes, but they are also silver. Possibly up to 80 or 90%. He found another cash of coins later which turned out to be real silver and gold issues. He sold many pieces to fund a legal battle against the neighboring Haciendados. Because he was new to the area he lost the court battle and most of his land, which made ranching impossible on the only land he was able to keep, a small low mountain range. They immigrated legally to the US in the 1950's. My father brought this one example of a fake cobb with him.
If it's 80% or 90% silver then it would be an old numismatic forgery, rather than a contemporary counterfeit. It wouldn't make sense for a counterfeiter to make them in that high an assay. It was likely made specifically for collectors.
It is cast rather than hammered. It was found beneath a tree that was very large maybe 100 or so years old and several yards off the trail. Who ever buried it must have planted a small sapling to mark the area. The weight matches the size of the coin for it's silver content. I've had it weighed and examined by three different Mexican/Spanish cobb collectors. I assume that after my grandfather found the first two stashes word got out around the region and the other Haciendados began jockeying for rights to the area. My great uncle had also buried a cash of silver and gold not far away during the revolution. Probably the payroll. He was killed and the buried money was never recovered or at least that's the official version. There is a monument near a cave marking the area of his HQ. The Mexican government guards the area against treasure hunters. So they say.
