My husband's mom lived in Key West and gifted this coin to him several years ago. She stated it was very expensive. No COA was given. We are trying to confirm if the coin is real or fake and if it is of high value- $1000+. Thank you for any assistance.
With that detail it looks real to me. Look at the edges to see if there is a seam mark. There should not be one. $1000 is high for one of these, if the bezel is karat gold that will add a lot of value. Someone who knows these better than me will chime in soon. It looks to be a 16th century style.
The gold is likely real, but the cob is a fantasy. The date that Don is referencing is all wrong. If you orientate the cross North/South axis, the date on this piece is at 2 o'clock. Dates (if they exist) on early cobs would be to the left of the crown at 10 o'clock.