Gold Spanish Cob??

[PDJ]

I could use some help on this coin I found. This is the first place I have come for info. I found it at a beach over Labor Day. I have some concerns with the pitting and don't really know if this is a true old gold cob. I havn't cleaned it or done anything to it. Here's some info -- since I see some asking some of these questions. I found it at a beach in the Northeast not frequented by many at all, below high water mark. The beach is very rocky. I use a minelab excalliber 1000. The coin is 1 1/2 inches approx round. I see the mexico mint stamp but don't know what the assayer is. I see it is a shield on the front w/ what looks like a chinese merchant stamp in the lower rt. hand corner. I don't know the date. The corrosion you see rises up and gold seems to flake off those areas. Under those areas or in the middle of the corrosion, as you can see, seems to be grayish?? Is that what gold looks like when it's corroded? Also, the cross on the back is a little different then others I have seen on this site. One other thing -- the gold looks to be real, even if it is just an outer layer. Is this real and / or what is it? I was pretty excited when I first found it. Almost forgot to fill the hole and check for more. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
PDJ

 

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[Trez]

PDJ,

wasn't it a thrill to find it...kinda get's you thinking...oh my god, I just found my first gold coin...........

and then you post it on this site.......and wait for all the responses....and...and...well here's mine, sorry, replica.
Hey...it is still nicer than the one I remember seeing several months ago.

Trez

 

[Zephyr]

Here's where you can find your culprit:

http://www.deadmentellnotales.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?search=action&keywords=XTCR

 

[PDJ]

Tks Trez, SWR, Zephyr. Trez -- you had me hanging on every word. Zephyr -- .97 cents -- ohh well. Somebody got a good laugh on me when they buried that on the beach. Maybe next time.
PDJ

 

[BEACH-HUNTER]

These things are turning up too often!!

I have popped a few out of a lake in N.H!!! Got one in VA. BEACH last year too!! they give you a quick rush though!! then another rush of anger!!!L.O.L!!

 

[PDJ]

Ohh and by the way -- that coin had me up before the crack of dawn each day from last Thursday thru today trying to find more. I'm laughing at myself right now -- and tired.

 

[BEACH-HUNTER]

SORRY TO HEAR!!!

Ohh and by the way -- that coin had me up before the crack of dawn each day from last Thursday thru today trying to find more. I'm laughing at myself right now -- and tired.

HOPEFULLY YOU'LL GET THE "REALE" THING SOON !! IT ONLY TOOK ME 25 YEARS OF DETECTING TO GET MY 8 REALE COB THEN I GOT A 2ND THE NEXT WEEK!!!! GOOD LUCK AND KEEP SWINGING!!

 

[armchairQB30]

That appears to be a zamak 3 zinc die casting that has been gold plated and recently left in a saltwater environment, the plating did not take on the surface where the zinc is exposed resulting in the surface of the casting being compromised and showing oxidation. I think there is a company in Canada by the name of Q-Zip who makes the tooling for tokens and coins and such. Zinc allows you to produce some very highly toleranced, detailed die castings with some tolerances as tight as +- .005, it is interesting to see these counterfeit cobs showing up on Florida beaches.

Also consider looking at the side of the cobs for obvious parting lines, this is where the two die halves come together and form a parting line. This parting line is trimmed or tumbled off in a secondary process known as deburring.

 

[Mackaydon]

The sale of replica coins requires compliance with the US Hobby Act; violation is stiff. Funny, I don't see the word "COPY" incursed in a perscribed manner into this replica as required by the law; perhaps it's just my eyes continuing to go bad.
Don....

 

[Trez]

The sale of replica coins requires compliance with the US Hobby Act; violation is stiff. Funny, I don't see the word "COPY" incursed in a perscribed manner into this replica as required by the law; perhaps it's just my eyes continuing to go bad.
Don....

Don,
So, you think it could be an authentic period piece? or are you just stating it doesn't say (copy)?

Trez

 

[Zephyr]

Here's the law on COPY and replica coins:

http://www.greatamericancoincompany.com/US-Hobby-Protection-Act-15USC-2101-c15.html

I bought some coins from the site I posted earlier. They aren't marked COPY, but the designs are so crappy that there's no way you could believe they are authentic coins (maybe that's a loophole in the law...? )

 

[Mackaydon]

Trez:
The piece itself looks anything but real (gold tarnishing??) AND it appears to have been minted outside the law if it is a replica and does not conform to the Hobby Act.
Don.....

 

[armchairQB30]

When zinc is in a corrosive environment it turns into a white powder. Many parts for boats are plated with chrome for its anti-corrosion characteristics however if the part is not cleaned properly before plating. The salt spray will get under the plating and corrode the casting whether it is aluminum or zinc. I would request that the person who started this thread take a very close side shot of the fake cob to look for a parting line. In my years of selling custom manufactured parts in zinc, alum and mag, I work in a world of galvanic issues, corrosion, emi and electrical concerns spending much time on defining the products working environment. A former company that I worked for by the name of Dynacast made coins and tokens for years until it all went to China. My background is in the area of casting techniques, Sand, Perm Mold, Die, Investment, Gray Iron, Steel and prototype processes.

I am very interested in how things were manufactured years ago. My daughter and I have started metal detecting last year and we found this site. I cant tell you how fascinated I am by what I see on this site. From time to time I like to peruse the "What is it" area and try to figure out what someone else has found. Anyway, you guys are living out my dreams of finding precious artifacts from years ago and showing folks like me. Good luck all.

 

[armchairQB30]

Does this look familiar?