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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Marsyas Mike, post: 7319672, member: 85693&quot;]Interesting countermark, lordmarcovan.&nbsp; It rings a faint bell - I used to be a very enthusiastic countermark collector.&nbsp; Although I never owned one like that, I do believe I saw some over the years.&nbsp; Sorry I can&#039;t be of any help in identifying it. </p><p><br /></p><p>Your post inspired me to photograph some of my Azores countermarks.&nbsp; These have been extensively counterfeited, so no guarantee of authenticity.&nbsp; These have been in my collection 20+ years, so they pre-date the current run of outrageous fakes, but I think the fakes were around in the 1960s.&nbsp; As I am no expert, I am sure some of mine are fakes, perhaps the two posted below (although I am fairly confident the host coins are geniune).&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>The genuine &quot;crowned G.P&quot; countermark was applied by Portuguese authorities in the Azores in 1887 in an effort to bring monetary order to the wide variety of foreign coins circulating in the islands at that time.&nbsp; Since sailing ships from all over stopped there on the Atlantic voyages, lots of coins wound up there from all over. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Spanish mint 1 and 2 reales (&quot;pistareens&quot;) seem to be the most common host coin for these - in circulation for over a 100 years in some cases, these were lower-quality silver than Spanish Colonial small silver of the same vintage, so they stayed in circulation (Gresham&#039;s Law strikes again)&gt;&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Philip V of 1721:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1279299[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>A somewhat scarce King Luis type, 1724: </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1279300[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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