1798 8 Reale! And token. :p

[RustyRelics]

I've had my eye on this coin for a while, so I finally bit the bullet, went to my local antique shop and bought it. It's in fantastic condition, and man is it cool! It even has those "sour silver" marks on the face in places. This is my first Reale coin.




And here is another cool "coin" or token rather. It's a neat brass imitation of a period gold shilling, that was used as a game token back then.

 

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[Truth]

Hey Rusty I found a 1809 8 Reales last year that got a banner fined due to its condition. That is one beautiful coin! Congratulations

 

[villagenut]

I am glad you finally got your coin, its a beaut. ....don't shine it up.

 

[RustyRelics]

I am glad you finally got your coin, its a beaut. ....don't shine it up.

HECK no, this thing is great on its own!

 

[Red-Coat]

Nice condition on those. The gaming token is actually copied from a guinea (a gold coin valued at twenty-one shillings) or half guinea (valued at ten shillings and sixpence). The guinea was 24mm diameter and the half was 20mm. We call them 'spade guineas' from the shape of the shield on both coins. The vast majority, despite their date and depiction of George III, are Victorian and were produced mainly from the 1880s onwards; usually in brass or pinchbeck (a brass alloy designed to resemble gold) but other metals exist. Yours, by contrast, is a scarcer pre-Victorian example, although the date may still not be when it was produced (depending on whether the diameter says it’s a full or half guinea imitation).

That particular type was produced as a guinea with contemporary dates of 1787-1797 and then later with spurious dates of 1798-1799 since those tokens weren’t actually produced until 1816. The half-guinea was produced with contemporary dates of 1787-99. About a dozen manufacturers in Birmingham, England made them. To avoid accusation of counterfeiting, the legend customarily appearing on the reverse of authentic guineas was substituted with alternative lettering. Sometimes the letters reflect the name of the manufacturer and sometimes they’re ‘fantasy/pretentious’. Yours is the latter, with the initials and abbreviations standing for:

MAGNAE BRITANIAE FRANCIAE ET HIBERNIAE REX FIDEI DEFENSOR BRUNSVICENSIS ET LUNEBURGENIS DUX SACRI ROMANI IMPERII ARCHI THESAURARIUS ET ELECTOR (King of Great Britain, France and Ireland; Defender of the Faith; Duke of Brunswick & Luneburg; Treasurer and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire).

Note that the last letter is usually an ‘E’ for ‘ELECTOR’ but yours appears to be an ‘I’, which is a variant/error I haven’t seen before.

 

[RustyRelics]

Nice condition on those. The gaming token is actually copied from a guinea (a gold coin valued at twenty-one shillings) or half guinea (valued at ten shillings and sixpence). The guinea was 24mm diameter and the half was 20mm. We call them 'spade guineas' from the shape of the shield on both coins. The vast majority, despite their date and depiction of George III, are Victorian and were produced mainly from the 1880s onwards; usually in brass or pinchbeck (a brass alloy designed to resemble gold) but other metals exist. Yours, by contrast, is a scarcer pre-Victorian example, although the date may still not be when it was produced (depending on whether the diameter says it’s a full or half guinea imitation).

That particular type was produced as a guinea with contemporary dates of 1787-1797 and then later with spurious dates of 1798-1799 since those tokens weren’t actually produced until 1816. The half-guinea was produced with contemporary dates of 1787-99. About a dozen manufacturers in Birmingham, England made them. To avoid accusation of counterfeiting, the legend customarily appearing on the reverse of authentic guineas was substituted with alternative lettering. Sometimes the letters reflect the name of the manufacturer and sometimes they’re ‘fantasy/pretentious’. Yours is the latter, with the initials and abbreviations standing for:

MAGNAE BRITANIAE FRANCIAE ET HIBERNIAE REX FIDEI DEFENSOR BRUNSVICENSIS ET LUNEBURGENIS DUX SACRI ROMANI IMPERII ARCHI THESAURARIUS ET ELECTOR (King of Great Britain, France and Ireland; Defender of the Faith; Duke of Brunswick & Luneburg; Treasurer and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire).

Note that the last letter is usually an ‘E’ for ‘ELECTOR’ but yours appears to be an ‘I’, which is a variant/error I haven’t seen before.

I just measured mine with Calipers, and it measures at 24mm.

 

[Red-Coat]

I just measured mine with Calipers, and it measures at 24mm.

Guinea imitation it is then, and produced in 1816 despite the date suggesting otherwise.