Coin and Paper Money Collecting/VTRAQUE VNUM COIN

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Expert: Brad Swain - 2/21/2010


Question

Coin face
I have a coin from 1739. Ive attached a photo of the face of the coin. On the back is says PHILIP.V.D.G.HISPAN.ET IND.REX then a 4 leaf rosette also on the back is .MF with a 4 leaf rosette under it and a number 8 with a 4 leaf rosette above and below the 8. It is in very good condition. If it genuine what would it be worth. How can I determine if it is genuine?

Answer
Hi Kevin, this is a fake of a scarce Spanish-Mexican 1732 8 Reales coin. Compare it to pictures of actual coins and the differences will be very apparent.
Counterfeits and fantasy pieces mass produced in East Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe abound of Chinese and U.S. coins, and many other countries'.
That design was used during the reign of King Philip V (1700-46). The M and F are the Mexico City mint's assayers' initials but only the F was on the coin in 1732. The Mexico City mintmark is an M with a small o over it. It should weigh 27.067 grams and would contain .7980 of an ounce of silver.
The “Spanish Milled Dollar” and its fractions were the principal currency through the early 1800s in U.S. everyday circulation and were legal tender as late as 1857.
You might find similar pieces on Ebay.com for comparison.
These sites are also a great info source:
http://carlclegg.com/pillars/design.html .
http://www.coinsite.com/content/faq/8RealesMilledPillar.asp .
Fakes: http://reviews.ebay.com/Fake-8-4-and-2-Reales-coins-from-ASIA-BEWARE_W0QQugidZ10...
Chinese counterfeit factory: http://coins.about.com/od/worldcoins/ig/Chinese-Counterfeiting-Ring/Chinese-Fake... .
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

Brad Swain

Expertise

I have been a World Coin and Paper Money collector since about 1965. I will be glad to answer any questions you may have on World coins or currency, tokens, unusual or unknown pieces and attempt to give you estimates of value and historical information about them in a polite and prompt manner.

Experience

45 years collecting coins and paper money.

Education/Credentials
BA History, BA Geography - Virginia Tech

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