Spanish Cob Identification help!

Jblue64

Tenderfoot
Dec 16, 2013
8
0
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hey Everyone!

I recently found this at a garage sale in Florida mixed in with costume jewlery. No markings indicating gold but I believe it’s 14k. With that being said do you think this is a real Spanish cob and if so does anyone know what period? Looks like there is wear from salt water. Wondering if it could be from the Atocha or another shipwreck!? Crazier things have have happened on here. Any help would be greatly appreciated. 63C85CB3-40E5-4F0B-9649-4F4DBC824BFD.jpeg 82A78BB1-DA7D-46AE-A201-DBE71B06ACD0.jpeg 1253FE68-B189-42C8-A82F-68DAF33F14FD.jpg
 

Diver_Down

Silver Member
Dec 13, 2008
4,373
2,000
St. Augustine, FL
My educated guess is that it is a sand cast from a genuine royal. The bezel is likely 14K. There is enough detail to pass a cursory glance as real, but when you look at the details enlarged, you see voids in the devices that shouldn't/wouldn't exist. Salt water corrosion will evenly corrode a surface, but it doesn't eat away metal while leaving the surrounding metal untouched. What you see on the surface with tiny holes is evident from air bubbles in a casting.
 

OP
OP
J

Jblue64

Tenderfoot
Dec 16, 2013
8
0
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
My educated guess is that it is a sand cast from a genuine royal. The bezel is likely 14K. There is enough detail to pass a cursory glance as real, but when you look at the details enlarged, you see voids in the devices that shouldn't/wouldn't exist. Salt water corrosion will evenly corrode a surface, but it doesn't eat away metal while leaving the surrounding metal untouched. What you see on the surface with tiny holes is evident from air bubbles in a casting.

Thanks Diver_Down! Any idea what period this a copy of?
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
It is a nice looking piece. Nice find.
 

Diver_Down

Silver Member
Dec 13, 2008
4,373
2,000
St. Augustine, FL
The original was an early 1600's (Atocha time frame) Mexico City piece. Again, I could be wrong, but I don't think so as I just looked through your pictures again and can identify 10 problem areas without even counting the rice crispy effect. I wish I knew how to do the drawing on pictures that you see so often by the younger generation as it would be a good learning tool.
 

Army

Jr. Member
Sep 3, 2018
36
23
Tacoma, WA
Detector(s) used
I have not done metal detecting since 1995 but at that time I had a Fisher underwater metal detector.
Primary Interest:
Shipwrecks
My experience making jewelry is that Sand casting gives you a stippling surface and not bubbles , I have many cob coins with uneven corrosion due to proximity to other metals and or coins. Sand casting doesn’t give you much detail.
 

RTR

Gold Member
Nov 21, 2017
8,180
32,469
Smith Mt. Lake Va.
Detector(s) used
Teknetics Liberator
Falcon MD-20
***********
Blue Bowl
Angus MacKirk sluice
Miller Table
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
003.JPG
Here is my clone/fake/copy/reproduction/ replica or whatever you wanna call it.........And I Love it !:)! 001.JPG
 

Last edited:

A2coins

Gold Member
Dec 20, 2015
33,807
42,606
Ann Arbor
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That is a cool cob
 

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