Would you help me ID this gold piece?

pnylvr

Please help, my local coin dealer had no clue! The tape is measured in mm.

TwoKopeiki

It appears to be a 1710 gold 4 Escudos of Felipe V (1700-46) from Mexico City. Check the weight on it, as well - 2 Escudos would be around 7.67 grams, while 4 Escudos 13.5 grams.

JoesMaName

Impressive - TwoKopeiki,

You must really know your Spanish colonials!

pnylvr

Again, te size is about 18mm across. I am estimating the weight on this to be about 1.55 grams. Smaller than what you originally were guessing.

TwoKopeiki

The elements of design are easy to distinguish. However, since I don't specialize in cob coinage - I don't know the characteristics of counterfeits for this series. Also, if assayer wasn't visible, or even year - you could still narrow the date down. You would know that it's a post-1700 cob because of the presence of the Bourbon escutcheon of three Fleurs de Lis, placed in the center of the shield, since Philip V was the first of the Spanish-Bourbon dynasty and his first reign was from 1700 to 1724. Also, you could establish that it was minted prior to 1743, when Mexico City mint stopped the striking of cob type of coinage altogether.

TwoKopeiki

D-oh, again, I should probably stop posting while sleep-deprived. I could've sworn I was looking at around 28mm diameter.

18mm would point at 1 Escudo - weight around 3.83 grams.

Half Escudo would be around 13mm across, weight 1.69 grams.

pnylvr

Looks like it is closer to 1/2 escudo.

GDJMSP

Given the rough surface of the coin in the protected areas I would be suspicious of its authenticity.

goldboy

I came across one of these years ago. A friend had it but I cant remember the details of the coin. I believe the member who posted here had it right though!

coinnerd

My first impression is counterfeit one escudo of the Mexico mint. The design elements of the cross just look wrong. The weight is way off. The 1 escudo is the smallest denomination gold cob minted in the new world so weight would have to be close to 3.83g. There is too much design left for it to have been trimmed and salt water won't effect gold to the extent of removing half it's weight.
The shield side should be rotated 90 degrees clockwise. Then the mint mark oM will be clear but the M is on its side. Second impression counterfeit.
Dated cobs of Mexico from this era are very scarce, 1 E are extra tough.

lordmarcovan

I agree. It looks fishy.