Found this Ring today It has a hallmark of a crown-anchor-18-crown,so it should be 18 k right?But it looks to be plated,if it is plated there should be no hallmark.Anyone know where to find a hallmark database.What is a good way to clean all the crud off of it.Thanks for all your help.
It looks like the crud you want to clean off is the base metal under the gold playing that used to be there. I've dug a few plated items and they look the same. I would say it was 18k plated.
Any ring is a good find.so feel good about that. Most 18K gold plate rings are stamped with the letters "HGE" which stands for "heavy gold electroplate"! I don't know that it would be hallmarked. Good job Dan!! Hang Tuff,stay with it,and good diggin' in the future!!!!!
Those sound to be pseudo German silver marks. Wouldn't be able to tell without close-up photo of the marks. While many things shouldn't be marked, "shouldn't" is not a word in many makers dictionary. While many places have strict laws against mismarking precious metals, it doesn't stop or deter many counterfeiters. I have a whole bag of marked "14K" pot metal.
I've seen (and dug) a few things now that have been marked as something good but turned out to be plated. Seen it alot on silver. Says 925 but no mention of plating even though it is.