Heritage World Coin Auctions
Long Beach Signature Sale 3067 6-7 Sep 2018
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Colombia
Charles III Contemporary Counterfeit 4 Escudos 1788 P-SF AU - cleaned, "Popayan" mint, Onza-Unl., cf. KM44a, cf. Calico-Type 43. A remarkably high quality contemporary counterfeit issue, superbly lustrous with every engraved in painstaking detail, certainly in an effort to permit its unhindered circulation amongst official pieces. In addition to no such pieces of this date having otherwise come down to us (Charles III died in 1788), the overall style of the reverse devices, especially on the royal shield, gives away the fact that it is not an issue of the Spanish crown. Specific gravity analysis further reveals that while this piece does indeed contain a considerable admixture of platinum, the overall gold content is markedly higher, at a ratio of approximately 35% to 65% respectively--pointing towards an effort to debase the coin (platinum at the time being of considerably lesser value than it is today), rather than to pass off a gilt-platinum copy as good gold. The effort nonetheless remains extremely admirable, as counterfeiting was punishable by death. While the present piece does exhibit some light signs of past cleaning, a more noteworthy feature for its history is the light wear on the highpoints, which has produced a subtly bluish-silver color emblematic of platinum. An extremely rare type, hardly ever encountered outside of the larger 8 Escudos imitations.
Ex. Stack's Bowers ANA Auction, 2 August 2017, Lot 22144
HID02901242017
Estimate: 800-1200 USD
Charles III Contemporary Counterfeit 4 Escudos 1788 P-SF AU - cleaned, "Popayan" mint, Onza-Unl., cf. KM44a, cf. Calico-Type 43. A remarkably high quality contemporary counterfeit issue, superbly lustrous with every engraved in painstaking detail, certainly in an effort to permit its unhindered circulation amongst official pieces. In addition to no such pieces of this date having otherwise come down to us (Charles III died in 1788), the overall style of the reverse devices, especially on the royal shield, gives away the fact that it is not an issue of the Spanish crown. Specific gravity analysis further reveals that while this piece does indeed contain a considerable admixture of platinum, the overall gold content is markedly higher, at a ratio of approximately 35% to 65% respectively--pointing towards an effort to debase the coin (platinum at the time being of considerably lesser value than it is today), rather than to pass off a gilt-platinum copy as good gold. The effort nonetheless remains extremely admirable, as counterfeiting was punishable by death. While the present piece does exhibit some light signs of past cleaning, a more noteworthy feature for its history is the light wear on the highpoints, which has produced a subtly bluish-silver color emblematic of platinum. An extremely rare type, hardly ever encountered outside of the larger 8 Escudos imitations.
Ex. Stack's Bowers ANA Auction, 2 August 2017, Lot 22144
HID02901242017
Estimate: 800-1200 USD