Need help with St. Augustine beach find.....

[muttandjeeps]

Spent the last few days with my son in SA. Got this up near a sea wall,in the black sand. Looks real to me, but wanted some expert help. It was holed at one time, it's very heavy, added a penny for scale.
Thanks!

 

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[dieselram94]

Looks real to me


Sent from a spun out toilet paper tube (one ply)!!!

 

[Mackaydon]

Post-1652 cob from Potosi, Bolivia (now).
The wave design between the pilars on the reverse is 'up'= Potosi.
If 'down' the mint would be Lima.
Don......

 

[Diver_Down]

My tentative answer is that it is real. Clean it up with some muriatic acid and then post an update with pictures.

When you say you found it near the sea wall, I presume you mean the hardened shore wall on St. Augustine Beach (pier area). I can't fathom that you were in the muck of the sea wall in downtown without drawing suspicion. Not to mention the current location of the sea wall in downtown is not where it was even back in the '50s. If it is indeed the location on St. Augustine Beach, then it is likely as a result of being deposited after the renourished sand was washed out. Back in 2007, it was much lower than it is now. The beach was renourished to such an extent that the rocks in front of the sea wall was completely buried and level with the sea wall extending out to the water's edge by at least 60 yards. Of course, the renourishment has been eroding for the past couple of years with large volume of sand movement as a result of Matthew(2016) and Irma(2017).

 

[muttandjeeps]

Thanks to all for the help. It weighs 21 grams, if that helps (?)
Thanks!

 

[muttandjeeps]

Also, how to properly clean with the Muriatic acid
Thanks

 

[Diver_Down]

Thanks to all for the help. It weighs 21 grams, if that helps (?)
Thanks!

Well, on the pillars side, there is some marking that can be made out faintly. Don alluded to the Waves crest - indicating Potosi. And the upper left quadrant, the P mintmark can be vaguely discerned. The denomination indicates a vague 8 which would denote an 8 Reale, but your weight is lite. But with the heavily worn/corroded nature, it could explain the weight difference. However, 6 grams is a substantial loss.

 

[muttandjeeps]

DD, is there a reference picture anywhere to see what it "should" look like. Also, is that weight loss realistic, or is this an old copy?
Thank you!

 

[Diver_Down]

Also, how to properly clean with the Muriatic acid
Thanks

I'm linking to a youtube clip as it is easier to visualize the method instead of typing out a lengthy response. Summary - make a weak muriatic solution. I usually do a 50/50 mixture. Always Add Acid to the water - never the reverse. Work outside in a well-ventilated area. After the soak, be sure to neutralize with a baking soda solution.

 

[Diver_Down]

DD, is there a reference picture anywhere to see what it "should" look like. Also, is that weight loss realistic, or is this an old copy?
Thank you!

I think I responded to another thread in the Spanish Cobs section not to long ago (within the past year) that describes the devices of a pillar and waves design. If you can imagine a tic-tac-toe grid, the mint is in the upper left, the denomination upper central, the assayer in the upper right; The phrase plu-sul-tra in the middle grid(left to right); and the assayer in the lower left, the date in the lower middle (directly above the cresting waves), the mint in the lower right.

I'll be honest the weight difference is a concern. But without seeing the cleaned piece, it is hard to say. In it's present state, it is evident to have experienced weathering elements.

 

[muttandjeeps]

Updated pics

Cleaned up a bit. Not sure if much more can be learned, thanks for all the help....

 

[smokeythecat]

Love the coin, looks good to me and I would not clean it further.

 

[TORRERO]

Don’t know but it looks a lot like a replica real I dug in a church yard years ago.... it was stamped fake or something in small letters at the bottom... if it’s real, it’s maybe a one real as it’s way to small for anything else.
Reals were weighed cut to exacting weights then stamped with mints and crown for Spain, so 1 real weighed some 2 reals double the one so forth, before being shipped back to Spain. Seawater does not take weight from silver coins, Most were 8 reals because not much use for small pieces to be shipped back where I believe these were melted and reminted into coins for the Spanish Crown. Anyway I’m rambling ....

 

[TORRERO]

BTW ... lots of replicas have been made over the years for tourists the world over... not saying it’s a replica...
But with the hole, it’s not far fetched to conceave of the possibility that it was and was lost on the beach at some time in the past and now has surfaced after a storm... just my two cents...

 

[smokeythecat]

Here's a quick test. Flop it down on a wooden tabletop. Real silver will ring. Lead will go thud.