Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
Fake or escudo - that is the question. Can you tell the difference? Test yourself and improve your skill.
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Fake or Escudo? |
If you metal detect much, chances are you'll find a fake treasure coin sooner or later. In fact there is a good chance you'll find several of them. They aren't all that rare.
It's always disappointing when you look in your scoop and see that hoped for glint of gold, but then find out it isn't gold at all. Sometimes the realization and disappointment comes quickly, but if you are new to the game, it might take a long time before you realize that you have a fake.
If you are experienced, you'll learn identify most fakes quickly. Others might not be so easy.
If you are looking at a photo, you are at a disadvantage. You can't pick up the item, feel the weight or turn it over and look at it from different angles.
If you look at enough genuine coins, many fakes will just not look right at first glance. But what are the tell-tale signs?
Many fakes will have a mold seam. Look at the edge of the coin to see if there is a mold seam.
The details of a coin made in a mold will generally have a less "sharp" look. The metal may not flow into fill the small details or corners. That gives a different look than a coin struck with a die.
Weight is another tell-tale sign. Most fake coins are lighter than they should be because they are made of a metal other than silver or gold.
If you've looked at enough sea water seasoned silver or enough gold coins, you'll be able to identify many fakes at first glance.
If you've looked at enough gold, when you look at electroplated fake gold coins, they will often look too hard or glassy. They'll be too reflective. Real gold is fairly soft and doesn't reflect light as much as most electroplated fakes.
A silver coin that has been on the beach or in the water for many years will show obvious signs of corrosion. If you pick up a really old silver coin on the beach that looks like it just came out of the mint, you have reason to be suspicious.
Time and corrosion can complicate the task by removing surface detail. Corrosion and encrustation can hide the actual surface of both fake and real coins.
Of course there are tests you can use. I've talked before about using a magnet to test a coin. You can also weigh the coin to see if it is the right weight. One great thing you can do these days, is take the coin to a pawn shop or jewelry store to be tested. They have good testing equipment these days.
By the way, the coin shown above is a fake. It is much easier to tell that in person. It is one of those coins sold as a souvenir.
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A 14-year-old Danish boy doing research for a history class found the wreckage of a German World War II plane with the remains of the pilot in the cockpit.
Daniel Kristiansen and his father, Klaus, discovered what's believed to be a Messerschmitt fighter plane buried in a field on their farm near Birkelse in northern Denmark...
Here is the link if you want to read more about that.
https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/08/europe/denmark-wwii-plane-trnd/index.html
Good research can lead to good finds.
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They can’t speak, but human remains unearthed from a Fortress of Louisbourg cemetery continue to provide clues to as to what life was like in the French outpost in the 1700s.
Threatened by sea rise and coastal erosion, the burial grounds at Rochefort Point are the focal point of an ongoing partnership between Parks Canada and a team of students led by University of New Brunswick bioarchaeologist Dr. Amy Scott...
And here is that link.
http://www.capebretonpost.com/news/local/fortress-of-louisbourg-dig-unearths-human-history-235242/
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No storms or anything of note.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
