I just 'flip' it, like doing a coin toss, do the same with a silver coin of similar composition and a copper coin and see if you can hear any similarities. I've been wondering if there is a better way to do the sonic test for expensive coins that we don't want dings in.
Yep. You flip it in the air, allowing your thumbnail to hit it pretty hard as you flip it. (This sounds horrible, but your thumbnail is not gonna hurt the metal of a coin, unless you're Freddy Krueger or somethin'.) If you're worried about missing the catch, you can do the flip while holding the coin over your bed, so it has a soft landing if you miss. In any event, "flipping" it is less likely to damage a coin than dropping it.
I'm pretty adept at coin-flipping, and can do the "ring test" pretty well without missing the recovery catch.
Are you sure this piece is all white metal, and not plated? With that degree of circulation, it's obvious it wouldn't have been plated when new, because it would show where the plating had worn off. But could it have reached that degree of circulation and then been plated with something?
The reason I ask is because it sort of looks like there might be copper peeking along the upper rim, around 1:00-2:00 on the reverse? Or is that just the way the image was cropped?
Good eye Rob. It looks like there is a cut on the thirs side of the coin and copper is underneath. I never noticed that before, I just 'rediscovered' the coin recently. I'll see if I can get an image later.
DPOTD-3 'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
Hm. Looks like it was plated. After seeing some circulation. Odd. Wonder what the motive was, there?
Did somebody hope to pass it off as a Victor Emmanuel silver piece of similar design, sort of like the US "racketeer nickel" thing? They'd have to hope their mark wouldn't be able to read the word CENTESIMI if that were the case. And what would they be passing it off as? Was there a what, 1-lire or 2-lire piece of the same approximate diameter, in silver? (I've got a 5-lire and it's a big dollar-sized sucker).
The next theory would be some kind of jewelry function, but then I'd expect to see a hole or traces of a mount or loop of some kind.
'Tis an intriguing headscratcher, this one.
<< <i>Neat-o counterfeit-o! >>
One would think so, if it were a silver-plated copper coin masquerading as a higher denom- if it said LIRE, for example, on the reverse. But it plainly says CENTESIMI. So who'd be bothering to counterfeit a copper coin, then plate it with the wrong colored metal?
I think that it was plated to be passed as a silver 2 lire. No way to know if the culprit succeded or not, but not every merchant spends time to read the reverse, if the obverse and the diameter look alike... That, or a crazy collector who enjoyed experimenting.
Comments
If so, does it have the sound of silver?
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
DPOTD-3
'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
CU #3245 B.N.A. #428
Don
<< <i>I've been wondering if there is a better way to do the sonic test for expensive coins that we don't want dings in. >>
Try Tarn-X.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
<< <i>I just 'flip' it, like doing a coin toss >>
Yep. You flip it in the air, allowing your thumbnail to hit it pretty hard as you flip it. (This sounds horrible, but your thumbnail is not gonna hurt the metal of a coin, unless you're Freddy Krueger or somethin'.) If you're worried about missing the catch, you can do the flip while holding the coin over your bed, so it has a soft landing if you miss. In any event, "flipping" it is less likely to damage a coin than dropping it.
I'm pretty adept at coin-flipping, and can do the "ring test" pretty well without missing the recovery catch.
Are you sure this piece is all white metal, and not plated? With that degree of circulation, it's obvious it wouldn't have been plated when new, because it would show where the plating had worn off. But could it have reached that degree of circulation and then been plated with something?
The reason I ask is because it sort of looks like there might be copper peeking along the upper rim, around 1:00-2:00 on the reverse? Or is that just the way the image was cropped?
DPOTD-3
'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
CU #3245 B.N.A. #428
Don
DPOTD-3
'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
CU #3245 B.N.A. #428
Don
8 Reales Madness Collection
Did somebody hope to pass it off as a Victor Emmanuel silver piece of similar design, sort of like the US "racketeer nickel" thing? They'd have to hope their mark wouldn't be able to read the word CENTESIMI if that were the case. And what would they be passing it off as? Was there a what, 1-lire or 2-lire piece of the same approximate diameter, in silver? (I've got a 5-lire and it's a big dollar-sized sucker).
The next theory would be some kind of jewelry function, but then I'd expect to see a hole or traces of a mount or loop of some kind.
'Tis an intriguing headscratcher, this one.
<< <i>Neat-o counterfeit-o! >>
One would think so, if it were a silver-plated copper coin masquerading as a higher denom- if it said LIRE, for example, on the reverse. But it plainly says CENTESIMI. So who'd be bothering to counterfeit a copper coin, then plate it with the wrong colored metal?
Super neat find anyway.
myEbay
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