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Remember that Manchurian coin I got for melt?
Weiss
Posts: 9,935 ✭✭✭✭✭
A forum member PM'd me about a possible sale. Saw an episode of Storage Wars a couple weeks back where the buyer of a locker took some coins they found to a dealer who used a simple magnet to determine if some somewhat suspect pieces were counterfeit (silver is not magnetic). In my 35+ years of collecting, I'd never seen such a simple and effective device used.
So before I snapped pictures of that Manchurian piece, and given the nature of its origin, I picked up one of my son's magnetic toys and held it to the coin. POP--stuck to it like glue!
Fortunately I bought this by weight (which in this case is 4 grams), so I'm out less than $5.
I've got another known fake 1 oz bullion coin here that is not reactive, so the magnet isn't a fool-proof method. And I suppose the Manchurians might have alloyed their silver with iron
But you might want to keep a magnet in your pocket along with your loop next time you go to a show or your dealer.
I know I will.
So before I snapped pictures of that Manchurian piece, and given the nature of its origin, I picked up one of my son's magnetic toys and held it to the coin. POP--stuck to it like glue!
Fortunately I bought this by weight (which in this case is 4 grams), so I'm out less than $5.
I've got another known fake 1 oz bullion coin here that is not reactive, so the magnet isn't a fool-proof method. And I suppose the Manchurians might have alloyed their silver with iron
But you might want to keep a magnet in your pocket along with your loop next time you go to a show or your dealer.
I know I will.
We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last.
--Severian the Lame
--Severian the Lame
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Here's the reverse(?). Definitely more porous than the other side. The coin is about the size of a US quarter:
--Severian the Lame
nice piece with some brockage visible. the date came through to the obverse.
I was very exited and sent it to a recognized expert in Germany. he said he would have to send it to a friend in Switzerland for a closer evaluation and eventual suggestion of a price.
None was known with this added Variety. all dimensions and wight was correct.
Coin was sent back at my request. I wanted to keep it for a while.
a few weeks went by. It resided in a plastic envelope in my working drawer with all the pens and , well the junk drawer with staples etc...etc...
One day I decided to clean the drawer as a lot of loose staples and paper clips were all over.
looking for easiest methot, I used a rare earth magnet (probably the most powerful magnet type on earth) to collect all thise minute steel items.....
and ...voila.. blip... it made and my beautiful "silver" swiss taler was happily attached to the magnet..................
2 experts did not use a magnet to check.. they used scales, calipers and who knows what else....but never a magnet..
NOW, the question still remains:
Did the Swiss mint master at the time produce test pieces officially or not, made from ferrous metal? It sure is a possibility......OR not???
H
Ps: if anyone wants, I can post pictures......would have to re-take them
<< <i>Even if it were real, it wouldn't have been Manchurian. The legend says Jiangnan Province, 1902. >>
I defer to your knowledge, sumnom. When I googled what I could make of the legend (it appeared to say "Fung Tien Province"), this site seemed to match most closely:
"Fung Tien Province 奉天省 is the old name for now Liaoning Province 遼寧省 [One of the former Three Eastern Provinces in the northeastern China. It was known as Manchuria, or Manchukuo (puppet state) as the Japanese occupation."
Fung Tien reference
--Severian the Lame
<< <i>about 2 years ago I bought a swiss shooting taler on the bay from Australia.
nice piece with some brockage visible. the date came through to the obverse.
I was very exited and sent it to a recognized expert in Germany. he said he would have to send it to a friend in Switzerland for a closer evaluation and eventual suggestion of a price.
None was known with this added Variety. all dimensions and wight was correct.
Coin was sent back at my request. I wanted to keep it for a while.
a few weeks went by. It resided in a plastic envelope in my working drawer with all the pens and , well the junk drawer with staples etc...etc...
One day I decided to clean the drawer as a lot of loose staples and paper clips were all over.
looking for easiest methot, I used a rare earth magnet (probably the most powerful magnet type on earth) to collect all thise minute steel items.....
and ...voila.. blip... it made and my beautiful "silver" swiss taler was happily attached to the magnet..................
2 experts did not use a magnet to check.. they used scales, calipers and who knows what else....but never a magnet..
NOW, the question still remains:
Did the Swiss mint master at the time produce test pieces officially or not, made from ferrous metal? It sure is a possibility......OR not???
H
Ps: if anyone wants, I can post pictures......would have to re-take them >>
Wow. See I wouldn't put too much faith in the magnet but it would certainly open my eyes about that coin. Seems odd that someone would execute an almost unknown taler forgery and make it out of anything less than a close proximity to what the original was made of. I wouldn't chuck that one in the recycle bin just yet.
--Severian the Lame
As an aside, he was a poor soul with a sad life.
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
still have it and took new Images just now.
It is funny, If is would be from the orient.. why are there no others known?
here are the Images, done up fast to post.
Comments are always appreciated.
Thanks
<< <i>
<< <i>Even if it were real, it wouldn't have been Manchurian. The legend says Jiangnan Province, 1902. >>
I defer to your knowledge, sumnom. When I googled what I could make of the legend (it appeared to say "Fung Tien Province"), this site seemed to match most closely:
"Fung Tien Province 奉天省 is the old name for now Liaoning Province 遼寧省 [One of the former Three Eastern Provinces in the northeastern China. It was known as Manchuria, or Manchukuo (puppet state) as the Japanese occupation."
Fung Tien reference >>
Oh! You are right that the English reads "Fung Tien!" I didn't even notice that. The Chinese, however, reads Jiangnan. It's a mule! Far out.
linky link
I think you will see that the Chinese legend on your coin reads Jiangnan (Kiangnan).
No problem, sumnom!
--Severian the Lame
I bought it "just" because it looked nice.
H
<< <i>you might want to keep a magnet in your pocket along with your loop next time you go to a show or your dealer. >>
Checking for magnetic attraction is just one of many tests which can conclusively prove fakery, but can never prove legitimacy!
The conflict between the English and Chinese legends is another such test.
which coin are you referring to?
<< <i>I strongly suspect this is a contemporary counterfeit. At least that is what my gut is telling me. >>
See THAT would be cool. It doesn't have the hallmark (pun intended) of modern cheap copies. It's not that gunmetal grey metal and doesn't have a washed-out look. It rings true, it has really pretty luster and even has a tiny bit of tone to it. Given the nature of the other world silver my dealer receives (old family collections, dealer stock), it seems unlikely it was recently manufactured.
--Severian the Lame
What is all that cool looking under strike all about on the Swiss shooting medal, especially around the "5Fr.", at the bottom? Looks like a clashed die but it's only below the die crack. Cool! Of course it could just be my bad eyes.
if u use a mirror you can read it.
h
<< <i>Doesn't the obverse center say the name of the last Ching emperor? He was Manchu.
As an aside, he was a poor soul with a sad life. >>
Touche. In fact all the Qing emperors were Manchu!
I just meant that it wasn't minted in Manchuria.
<< <i>Sumnom
which coin are you referring to? >>
The coin that is the subject of this thread
That would be Weiss' coin.