18th Century Silver Spanish Coin.

People of Knowledge, your assistance is requested.



I picked this up at the local flea-market today, and damn near branded my hand doing it (the result of the coin sitting inside a display-case for two hours in scorching heatwave conditions). Got a good discount on it and brought it home.

I've been trying to research it, but I'm coming up a bit short.

It's Spanish.
It's 90% silver.
It's a 2 Reales coin.
It's made in 1788, during the reign of Carlos III.

From what I understand of the markings on this coin, it's also possible to tell where it was minted, but I can't figure it out. Can anybody help with this?? Assistance is appreciated!

This is the oldest piece of silver I've ever had

 

I think it has the Madrid mint mark just below the 2.R for 2 reales. Looks lik
e a joined ME. The online lists of mintmarks are obsessed with Spanish colonial coins marks as they are usually American.

http://coinquest.com/cgi-bin/cq/coins?main_action=spanish-colonials

I'd grade yours as VG, or average for the issue and age.

 

Around the rim, it says:

HISPAN - ET - IND - REX - ME - 2R - I - I

So:

Spain & *something* - King - *something* - 2 Reales - *something* - *something*.

I can't figure out the blanks.

 

Hi Dave,

I weighed it on the most accurate scale I have. It said 7g, but below 10g it's not very accurate. It won't do decimal points for something this light.

I purchased the coin from a lady whose husband regularly travels to Europe to buy antique coins (over the years they've had LOADS for sale). But I suppose I could take it to a local jeweler I know and perhaps he can test it.

 

Yes I understand that. What I was saying was, I'd take it to the jeweler to test whether it was silver or not.

 

OK. But there are other ways of testing without acid or damaging the coin, right?

 

The only non invasive test that is available apart from specific gravity is the XRF scanner, given the cost of these it is unlikely smaller business would have one. A major refiner or scrap yard might but they'd possibly not want to mess around with testing oddments for non customers.

The wear looks normal and it is not a valuable coin, so I'd just assume it is right.

Drop it on wood and see if it sounds like silver.

 

BTW I'm not sure whether this has any bearing on it or not, but this coin is also very thin. It's all of about 1mm thick.

 

Davey, I'd never seen the magnet test before, so that was informative to me! Thanks!!!

 

Maybe u don't want it near the puffy pouch......

 

Warning :
Never place a REM near to a moblle phone or car remote, it will wipe the memory.

How near, I wonder? People do have a habit .of rabbiting on on trains.

 

I'd lay odds this one's real. Who'd fake a coin with that much wear on a coin this relatively common?