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What is this brass coin?

This coin was found in a box of old coins. Someone must know something about it.

Collector of Victoria, Edward VII, George V and George VI Canadian; and most anything U.S. I am currently looking for early Lincolns, raw in XF or better.

Comments

  • SapyxSapyx Posts: 2,220 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It is a modern replica of a "Reyes Catolicos" silver reale of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. This particular replica, made of brass and with mushy details and a legend that's quite garbled compared tot he original coins, appears on the forums quite regularly.

    This thread has one: https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/comment/13632700

    And this thread: https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/comment/11875592

    Their ultimate origin remains a mystery, but they're so common that they must have been mass-produced and mass-distributed. My best guess is a Reader's Digest giveaway (or from a similar company), probably for promoting a book either on "Pirates" or on "Christopher Columbus". Given the lack of the word COPY, I'd also guess they pre-date the 1973 Hobby Protection Act that required COPY to be placed on replicas.

    Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.
    Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, "Meditations"

    Apparently I have been awarded one DPOTD. B)
  • Thanks, Sapyx!

    Collector of Victoria, Edward VII, George V and George VI Canadian; and most anything U.S. I am currently looking for early Lincolns, raw in XF or better.

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