Southern Cal Cob - Dug This Summer 2007 - Questions

[Michigan Badger]

congrats:

Definit a 1/2 real Mexican mint mid 1600, Carlos ll, more info : www.robcar.net

Carolus2

I really appreciate your knowledge Carolus2 (and the others who comment).

Here's another cob from the same site where the 1/2 reale was dug.

I partly cleaned it so the silver would show but the corrosion is also still there.

Question: What is this? The silver seems genuine but it appears to be a copper/siler alloy and not solid silver.

I have referred to these as vellon maravedis cobs (I have many of this type but all different in design). What do you think?

Thanks,

Badger

 

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[Trez]

Badger,

What it looks like to me is a typical "Resellos" and of the Resello de (1641-1642) period.
What that basically means is that it is a typical 8 maravedi which has been revalued. You can actually see the counterstamp of 1641 on your example. As far as it being Vellon (containing silver), I don't believe so (my opinion only) as the planchet doesn't reflect such to me. Vellon, copper/silver mix maravedis, I believe to be much thinner of a planchet and not necessarily the thicker cob style which you can see on yours. I believe "Vellon" coinage was pre 1600 and not offered in the style coinage that you show in this photo.

Again, I am basing this only on your photo and my very very very (and did I say very) little knowledge of this subject.

With this hobby you cannot go by "you've seen one...you've seen 'em all"

(I'm sure Carolus2 will add to this at robcar.net...)

(Resellos info was obtained from Numismatica Espanol, Cailico, Trigo 1994 edition.)

Trez

 

[Mackaydon]

Badger and Trez:

Great coin and ID.
This site offers more insight into the issuance and reevaluation of this coin.
http://translate.google.com/transla...rch?q=8+maravedi+resellos&hl=en&sa=G&ie=UTF-8

The article also notes both "the monetary chaos during the reign of Philip IV" and the worsening conditions that led to the reevaluation order of Feb. 11, 1641.
Great article on the subject of reevaluations throughout history; especially, Spanish reevaluations.
Don........

 

[Michigan Badger]

Excellent information. Thanks much on behalf of all of us.

But what I don't understand is why these are silver? If they're not silver, why do they look silver and sound that way on the tone discrimination of my metal detectors?

Copper and silver have their own distinct sounds.

I've had some of these totally cleaned and they stay silver color.

I think there are things about these not well known today.

Badger

 

[Trez]

Badger,

Post the ones you say are silver...and we will have a gander at them. Don't enhance color or contrast...photo under indirect light if you can, Thanks.

Trez

 

[Michigan Badger]

Badger,

Post the ones you say are silver...and we will have a gander at them. Don't enhance color or contrast...photo under indirect light if you can, Thanks.

Trez

I recently sold almost all my silver maravedis to another TN member.

Here is one of the few I have kept for my own collection.

To the eye it looks shiny silver.

Anyway, no one will ever convince me these are not silver. They read the exact same as a U.S. silver quarter on my tone detector.

This photo is 100% untouched--no heat--no chemical treatments--no silvering tricks--no nothing.

Enjoy

 

[Michigan Badger]

A few more maravedis....compare with the copper cob on the left.

 

[Trez]

Badger,

Post the ones you say are silver...and we will have a gander at them. Don't enhance color or contrast...photo under indirect light if you can, Thanks.

Trez

I recently sold almost all my silver maravedis to another TN member.

Here is one of the few I have kept for my own collection.

To the eye it looks shiny silver.

Anyway, no one will ever convince me these are not silver. They read the exact same as a U.S. silver quarter on my tone detector.

While I'm positive this will convince no one (other than the member who bought most of them from me), here ya go for the heck of it.

This photo is 100% untouched--no heat--no chemical treatments--no silvering tricks--no nothing.

Enjoy

Thanks Badger,

I don't think any experts ID'd your maravedi, you posted your maravedi and you never posted a pic of your silver one(s)...just added a sentence that you had some...so, with the info you intially provided to us you got a response.
It was information about the maravedi that was posted origionally, and I'll stick with that ID...as I would with my origional 1/2 real Charles II that you first posted.

As far as these new ones you posted, they do appear to be silver...
Why did you not post any of the silver ones if you knew that they were such? You could have provided some folks in here a great chance to see some "apparently" very rare? pieces...instead you chose to take a crack at the very people who tried to help in your origional posts...thats a strange thank you.

I think all the "experts" have been banned from the forum...
I'm just a southern boy (from Mich.) lol, who knows very little about "Lemon Meringue pie" and less about funny little pieces of silver.

Trez

 

[Michigan Badger]

Most of these were dug either in southern California or at a small location in Spain. No two cobs are alike and I received them all totally encrusted with centuries of corrosion.

Badger

 

[Michigan Badger]

Even more...

 

[tapoutking]

If I didn't know any better I would guess that someone found a cache....

 

[Metal Head]

The fact that they were all "totally encrusted" Sounds like maybe they were in the ocean for a while. maybe they found them then they were buried at the farm.