Post a picture of a coin of truly "questionable authenticity"...

MrEureka

I'm not talking about a coin that somebody couldn't figure out at some point in time. I'm talking about coins that nobody has been able to figure out, at least not with certainty.

FilamCoins

Blackhawk

ASUtodd

Filam, that is a "trade" dollar/token from Hawaii. I have one that says, "Khona Dollar" on it. they gave them out to tourist in the 70's and 80's... Mine is from 1977, I don't have it in hand to look at the date. My sister got it from her best friends mother who went to the islands back then and they were given them out as souvenirs. I assume this is what they were for, they may have even been accepted for trade but I can't confirm or deny that.
Todd

CaptHenway

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What? You want a Sheldon number??????????

TwoKopeiki

The final verdict on authenticity of this one is still outstanding. The weight of the coin is 26.86g, which is in-line with what I would expect from Guadalajara coins during W4I period. I haven't been set-up to do specific gravity testing, so can't be sure if alloy is correct. I believe there's a lump of foreign metal in the planchet (gold?) that can be seen at 12 o'clock on the obverse, appearing as a lighter area in the metal.

It would appear to be at first glance a simple "brockage clash" - but then on second look it didn't make much sense.

A brockage/clash, would have happened this way:

A coin is stamped and in the process of removal of the coin, the coin is dropped part way out of the press. The coin flips over and rests out of alignment on the surface of the anvil die. The manual screw press can not be stopped in time to prevent an impact. The next impact of the dies with the struck coin out of position results in a transfer of a slight impression to the smooth surfaces of both dies. This is fairly plausible since the field surfaces of the die do not harden with repeated strikings. The sharp struck features of the coin are actually hardened by the strike to a point where they will act as a die. The impression of the coin is transferred to the die, but since the coin takes the place of a hub - the impression should be negative on the die and would result in Positive impressions on subsequent strikes.

So why are the impressions wrong on both sides? Possibly a coin stack if struck in a pile would produce this impression. But does that happen anywhere except in a forger's studio?

Also there are also two sets of impressions of the dentils on the obverse. How did that happen? It requires a second strike.

There is also a displacement fracture running across the King's face - pointing to a soft die. There are clues that the planchet was cast - the rough surfaces where a full strike did not occur.

There are lines on the Kings face - parallel raised lines - what are those and how did they get there? The lines do not make sense to me because most portraits were punched. Even if the portrait was an individually engraved feature why the parallel lines? They are in a protected depressed portion of the die so lapping is not a possible source.

Then lastly - very odd looking edge. There are vertical lines under the edge design impression on part of the edge (see top picture). Then in the middle picture is a feature that looks like an edge that never went through the edge mill. But if that happened the opposite side has to show a similar feature.

I'm posting links because the images are quite large.

Obverse

Reverse

Edge

EDIT: Forgot to mention that die work is spot-on to what Guadalajara was producing in that period.