Expert: Brad Swain - 1/3/2010

Question
I have a Spanish gold coin on one side has a crest you can read
Reina de las Espanas 100 Rs.
on the other side has a women profile and reads
Isabel 2 Por la G. de Dios y la Const. 1862
I would like to know the history behind it and the value
Regards, Emilio

Answer
Hi Emilio, brass copies of these do exist. The genuine Spanish 100 Reales coin featuring Queen Isabel II (1833-68) should weigh 8.337 grams and would contain .2412 of an ounce of gold. It has a 6, 7 or 8 pointed star by the 100 that denotes which of the three Spanish mints it came from. It may be worth about $250 to $300+ depending on price of gold, amount of wear and collector demand.
Current gold and silver values: http://www.kitco.com/market/ .
You might try Ebay.com for similar pieces for comparison.
You might also try a library for a copy of the Standard Catalog of World Coins for pictures, values and lots more interesting info.
Brad