markings inside gold ring? **UPDATED PICS**

[Goes4ever]

I found this ring today, I believe the outside to be copper, inside 18k gold, do you know anything about these markings? looks like a cat and a crown

**UPDATE.............I took a new pic today after I polished it, the copper color is all gone and the outside is as shiny gold as the inside now, so the person who said the gold was only plated and worn off was not correct at all!

 

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[Montana Jim]

Re: markings inside gold ring?

The crown and the 18 were used for marking 18 K gold from 1798 - 1974 in Great Britain. As for the "cat" ,Lion Passant, it usually stands for sterling silver. Also, there is usually a letter for the year it was hallmarked, so, without more research, I am kinda at a loss for an exact breakdown at the moment.

Hope it helps some

Like TT eluded to... counterfiet?

I've been hung up on this as well... the crown looks wrong, the font in the numbers look wrong, the lion (a silver mark usually) even looks wrong.

 

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[Goes4ever]

well if it is a counterfiet, that would be highly odd, number one this house house not been lived in since 1954, the ring was down 4-5" so unless someone intentionally buried it, it was lost long ago. The coins we found there were from the 1800's. I think this ring is very old as well

 

[Montana Jim]

well if it is a counterfiet, that would be highly odd, number one this house house not been lived in since 1954, the ring was down 4-5" so unless someone intentionally buried it, it was lost long ago. The coins we found there were from the 1800's. I think this ring is very old as well

I'm not saying the ring or gold is fake - just the hallmarks...

Many countries copy or fake the British hallmarks... but the jewelry is real.

Take it to a professional... a reputable one like suggested here earlier.

 

[floodlight]

If you take a look at this site: http://www.theassayoffice.co.uk/commemorative_marks.html
and scroll down a bit, you will see the crown and 18 marking that is on your ring. Apparently that marking was used between 1798 and 1974 and the 18 means 18 karat gold.

And this site: http://www.theassayoffice.co.uk/date_letters.html has the kitty cat marking that is also on the ring.

Are there any other markings such as a letter? If so, you could get the exact date that it was made from the above web link.

Its a very nice find,

floodlight

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

If you take a look at this site: http://www.theassayoffice.co.uk/commemorative_marks.html
and scroll down a bit, you will see the crown and 18 marking that is on your ring. Apparently that marking was used between 1798 and 1974 and the 18 means 18 karat gold.

And this site: http://www.theassayoffice.co.uk/date_letters.html has the kitty cat marking that is also on the ring.

Are there any other markings such as a letter? If so, you could get the exact date that it was made from the above web link.

Its a very nice find,

floodlight

Good link. I will save it. Nice find indeed, but some of us cant understand why it came out of the ground green, or even why it is different on the outside as compared to the inside of the ring. Also as Montana Jim stated, the crown looks wrong. Counterfeits were made in the 18th and 19th centuries. I just dont know, myself, and i am anxiously awaiting the test results. I bet you didnt think this gold ring would attract so much attention and debate.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

well if it is a counterfiet, that would be highly odd, number one this house house not been lived in since 1954, the ring was down 4-5" so unless someone intentionally buried it, it was lost long ago. The coins we found there were from the 1800's. I think this ring is very old as well

Counterfeting was common in the 1800's... at least it was with coinage.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I would have to agree with TT. (did i say that? ) There is certainly no malice intended. We all learn from this and every other find.

 

[Goes4ever]

Goes4ever, I am having a hard time understanding why you are taking some of the comments here so personally. The ring is in question, not you. If the ring hallmarks are counterfeits, if the ring is not 18k gold, that doesn't mean it's any less an exciting find. I hope you will reconsider the comment you made in bold lettering in your first post. That is really not nice considering folks are just trying to answer the question you yourself posed initially. Even if the person you are referring to is ultimately proved wrong, that is no reason to be so hostile. We're here trying to help you, not condemn you. Please chill.

hahahahahah, me chill? I am the most calm person you will meet, I am not taking anything personally, I guess you just read my post wrong, sorry about that. And I am hardly being hostile, I am actually sitting here laughing............because you said "hostile" I am one of the easiest going guys you will ever meet! now smile and laugh like me and feel better!!!

 

[Vrent]

if it is counterfeit then it is an old counterfeit which is still a pretty cool find....counterfeiting has been around as long as people have made something with value.
what I do see in the pictures is what appears to be multiple solder lines, it may be that a very low grade solder was used causing the green. are there multiple solder lines visible to the naked eye? if so even one solder line visible to the naked eyes, means a different grade of solder, most likely a low grade.

as has been said we are just trying to puzzle out your question as to why a 18k gold ring would come out of the ground green.

about your bold comment you said the copper color is now gone, are you sure the ring wasn't plated, copper is a plating medium. it is not unusual for people to plate gold, because they only had 18k yellow and needed a white gold color ring, or even to plate platinum over gold. you still would use an under coating of copper. a thin layer of copper would also be used for enameling. I personally would have left it, as it was. but that is me I don't screw around with the things I find.

HH Vrent

 

[flyinguy]

looks like gold, smells like gold, have a jeweler test it. nice.

 

[Mike Silver -gold]

I deal in gold as a part time job. You cannot afford to make a bad call. I test all gold with a drop or two of nitric acid. It has to be nitric acid. If it is gold,nothing happens. Anything that bubbles GREEN is fake. I don,t care how it is marked. When I first started,I got stung a few times. You catch on real fast. Anyone can stamp a ring or chain ( and they do). When someone offers to sell me gold, first I will pass a very powerful magnet over it. If it picks up it is junk gold or silver are not magnet. Now I will put a drop of acid on the inside. Let it set a while,some junk is heavly plated. If there is no reaction,it is gold. It is the only true test that I know. I will not touch gold plated, gold filled,eleltrico plate, 20 percent gold. To me it is all crap. I think your ring is 18kt,but test it to make sure. Mike

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Mike, I have people approach me, sometimes offering to sell me gold jewelry at a bargain price. I have nitric acid. Do i have to scratch a little spot first before putting on a drop of acid? And how long do i need to wait for a reaction?

 

[Mike Silver -gold]

Yes if you can find a spot that is not noticable, I will file it lightly. You don,t have to wait any longer than 30 seconds. Any bubbleing or green means it is plated. I won,t buy anything,no mater how heavy it is plated. I also have a 10 power lupe. I will look for any black spots or signs of chiped plating. Once you do it for a while you can usualy tell a fake rite away. Good luck. Mike.

 

[Polarbeer]

This thread kind of died, have you found out yet?

 

[Ant]

Mike, I have people approach me, sometimes offering to sell me gold jewelry at a bargain price. I have nitric acid. Do i have to scratch a little spot first before putting on a drop of acid? And how long do i need to wait for a reaction?

He's right, the reaction takes place right before your eyes. I use a slate streak plate with the acid test, I never file an item. After you handle gold long enough you can tell if it real or not, but the acid test is still required if I’m buying.

Another thing, when you buy a nitric acid test for gold it will normally come in a diluted form. It comes in different percentage, one that test 10k, 14k, 18k, 22k and so on. Only 24k won’t react with pure nitric acid, the lower karats will change color, while other metals will have an imitate reaction like bubbling and foaming.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Mike, I have people approach me, sometimes offering to sell me gold jewelry at a bargain price. I have nitric acid. Do i have to scratch a little spot first before putting on a drop of acid? And how long do i need to wait for a reaction?

He's right, the reaction takes place right before your eyes. I use a slate streak plate with the acid test, I never file an item. After you handle gold long enough you can tell if it real or not, but the acid test is still required if I’m buying.

Another thing, when you buy a nitric acid test for gold it will normally come in a diluted form. It comes in different percentage, one that test 10k, 14k, 18k, 22k and so on. Only 24k won’t react with pure nitric acid, the lower karats will change color, while other metals will have an imitate reaction like bubbling and foaming.

Ah.OK thanks. I have Nitric Acid and Potassium Dichromate and I mix my own test solution. It works great for silver and other metals but I wasnt sure how to test gold plated jewelry.

 

[Montana Jim]

yes yes! Update?

 

[Goes4ever]

I took it to a jeweler in my town and they said they do not test for gold since they have no need to. I just took it home and threw it in my box of finds and kind of forgot about it

 

[Montana Jim]

 

[gunntekk1]

when 18k gold is heated it will have a green and copper hue to it. Maybe it was lost in a fire