What is this coin inside jewellery?

Discussion in 'Sovereigns' started by pushingtin, Jan 2, 2014.

  1. pushingtin

    pushingtin Member Silver Stacker

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    My mom has had this piece of jewellery which was passed down to her, so its quite an age.

    What is the coin inside the piece? Would this be genuine coin?

    At the back of the jewellery it has an 18K mark.

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Roswell Crash Survivor

    Roswell Crash Survivor Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    Almost certainly British or from a British Commonwealth country on the basis thats Queen Victoria.

    Could be a 22K Sovereign (0.2354 troy ounces of AGW). The 19K hallmark is for the chain or bezel.

    Doing a quick catalog search now.

    Edit: At this point it looks like a garden variety 'Victoria veiled-head' Sovereign minted sometime between 1893-1900.

    Can you measure the approximately diameter of the coin face? Without an idea of the size it may be a half-sovereign or 2-pound coin ('double sovereign') if you're lucky.

    It also be a lower purity jeweler's copy or imitation; unable to determine without assay or XRF. Worst case it could also just be a gold-plated British penny.

    Can you see the reverse of the coin?
     
  3. Holdfast

    Holdfast Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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  4. aussiesilver

    aussiesilver Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    Its not an English Sovereign,most likely a copy from an Arab country. Queen Victoria looks troubled,she was more appealing on a real sov
     
  5. pushingtin

    pushingtin Member Silver Stacker

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    Diameter of coin roughly 1.7cm.

    Nope, cant see reverse.
     
  6. mmm....shiney!

    mmm....shiney! Administrator Staff Member Silver Stacker

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    Isn't there a google app that does an image search via a scan?

    It looks fake, and I'm sorry to say - cheap. A poor piece of workmanship, notice the gap between the diamonds.

    It may well be 18 or 22K gold but it's not a coin ie legal (or ex legal) tender, just a token.
     
  7. JB3

    JB3 Member

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    This one certainly looks different. Different details to veil, different (and more accurate) Star of the Garter, etc.

    Mind, the image below is an Australian minted version - perhaps there was more variation than just the mint mark - I'm no expert.

    [​IMG]
     
  8. Roswell Crash Survivor

    Roswell Crash Survivor Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    Thats about the right diameter for a half-Sovereign. As the other poster point out, its also common for jewelers to make lower purity copies.
     
  9. Photonaware

    Photonaware Active Member

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    Your jewellery shows an old head Queen Victoria but the lettering T.B. below the bust appears missing.
    If so I would reckon you have an 18ct copy ( fake ) but not without intrinsic gold content value.
     
  10. JB3

    JB3 Member

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    Indeed. I confess, knowing little of these things, I thought that was a mint mark of some sort, but it isn't; it's the artist's initials.

    And it should be there for that 'edition' of the sovereign, so I too - again, knowing little of these things - suspect you have a copy.

    Doesn't mean it isn't 18kt, mind, and that's only just shy of the real thing.
     
  11. pushingtin

    pushingtin Member Silver Stacker

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    Thanks all for your input - even if it is a little disappointing!
     
  12. 10ozhound

    10ozhound Active Member

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    Jewellers copy fake. Nice to prove it wrong.
     
  13. JB3

    JB3 Member

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    I wouldn't worry about the 'coin' - I'd be more concerned about the stones. If they are real, then the legitimacy of the coin is irrelevant to the value, especially if it is 18kt. I agree, if it's not real, it's not 22kt (like a sovereign is) but that's gilding the lily really if the stones are real.

    If the stones are CZs and you thought they were diamonds then, again, the issue of the coin is moot.


    All that said, if they were putting real diamonds in, you'd think they'd get a real sov.


    JB3
     
  14. pushingtin

    pushingtin Member Silver Stacker

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    I have my doubts about the diamonds... will get it checked out though.
     
  15. JB3

    JB3 Member

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    Me too, but if they are good CZs and it's all 18kt gold, you still have a nice piece with some inherent objective value, let alone any sentiment.
     

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