Is this tiny "wedding" token a rarity? Notice that Maximiliano faces left... But all the research photos I've found show him facing right: http://www.worldwide-numismatics.com/page Mexico 1.htm http://coinquest.com/cgi-bin/cq/coins?main_coin=12728 http://www.apmex.com/product/26947/1865-b-mexico-mini-gold-maximiliano-replica-11-mm I'm thinking about selling mine. Comments & suggestions?
Actually alot of these are real 22k gold, not plated. Mexican tradition is that groom must present 7 gold pieces to bride family. These tiny gold coins allow for that to be accomplished with relative ease! Millions upon millions exist as they were made expressly for this purpose. Probably plenty of plated fakes out there, proceed with caution.
Interesting...I also read that 13 gold coins was another number given to the bride's family. I'm unsure how one would detect a plated coin w/o damaging it, but an accurate SG reading would do it...
"fairly closely" won't do it, would need calipers. It might be more than 7 coins, I'm not an expert! I just pulled that number from memory, which often doesn't serve me well
To measure the thickness, you would need a caliper or a micrometer. The diameter you could get pretty well from a mm ruler. The point is, a fake would be made pretty much the same dimensions as the real deal, so possibly you could tell from an accurate weighing. I have access to balances that weigh to 0.0001 g, and if you go to a local college, they will have them too in the chem dept. and I am sure someone would weigh them (or it) for you.
I would use liquid displacement in a graduated cylinder to find the volume of the coin in cc and then find the density after weighing. I have done this and used a insulin or tuberculin size syringe to adjust the meniscus to a graduated marking to determine volume as close as possible. Remember when doing the calculations to use significant figures, as the lowest resolution ( volume probably) will determine how many decimal places for density.
Couple of problems with this. A graduated cylinder with enough diameter to put a coin in (even of modest diameter) would only be graduated in divisions of 0.5 cc and this tiny little gold piece is probably more like 0.1 or 0.2 .....and that is only one sig fig.
Of course, there is also the standard method, which is weighing it, then weighing the coin immersed in water and calculating the SG. This also takes displacement into the calculations...
Thanks for all your comments! I'd hoped these were rare because the image faces left. Seems unlikely. And I'd be surprised if they're solid gold... long-story-short, my skinflint Grandma bought 'em in Tijuana back in the 60's.
