Coin and Paper Money Collecting/1739 VTRAQUE VNUM Coin

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Expert: - 2/21/2010


Question

Coin Face
I have an old coin from 1739 I have attached a photo of the face. On the back of the coin it says PHILIP.V.D.HISPAN.ET IND.REX then 4 leaf rosette at the bottom. On the back it also says .MF with a 4 leaf rosette below it which is to the left of the crest, to the right of the crest is the number 8 with a 4 leaf rosette above and below the 8. How can I determine if this is genuine and if it is what would its aprox value be?

Answer
Hi Kevin,
Typically the most reliable way to tell if you have a genuine coin is to check it against the reference weight. For a coin this size, it should be no less than 27 grams.
Unfortunately I can tell you from the picture that this is a modern Asian-made replica. The surface and details are not what they would look like on a 270 year old coin. The biggest thing that gave it away was the 4 leaf rosettes. If you look at the two on the right side of the pillars, the leaves are very close together, while on the left side they are far apart. On genuine coins they took much greater care and you would not see such asymmetry.
A genuine example in this condition would be $400 to $500+. As an unmarked copy it does not have numismatic value and you would not be able to sell it as a replica unless it was stamped "Replica" or "Copy" on the coin itself.
Thanks for the question! =)

Dmitry Livshits

Expertise

My specialty is world coins from the 18th to 20th centuries, primarily non-US foreign coins and related areas such as errors and exonumia (tokens, medals, etc.). I can answer questions relating to identification, grading, selling, preservation and evaluation of such items. In addition to catalog value, I can give you the practical market value and trends for specific types of coins. I will also take questions regarding counterfeits (both modern and antique) and on how to identify them. I am NOT knowledgeable in paper money/banknotes, ancient or "shipwreck" coins. Thank you.

Experience

Collector of world coins since early childhood. Access to a variety of auction records and reference material. You can also find me on Facebook.

Education/Credentials
A.S. in Psychology (2006), B.A. in Forensic Psychology (2008), M.A. in Forensic Psychology (2011).

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