Fake gold half sovereign?

[Mervyn Mitton]

The Turks were great ones for forging Sovereigns. The 1980's were particularly bad - so always check.

With this example you can see the base metal showing through.

There is one possibility - perhaps this was made in the 1st WW for distribution overseas - POW's etc.

The George 5th. head would be correct and the gold would have worn by now to this degree. Only a

thought - however, the lack of a date would prevent it ever going into circulation in the UK. Don't forget,

we didn't go off the 'gold standard until 1922. I would have thought a forgery made for general distribution

would have a date. Mervyn

[paul wood]

"What do you mean counterfeiting? You guys don't make three dollar bills!" - punch line to an old cartoon. I also recall, many eons ago, when Canada first issued the "coloured" (read "colourful") bills, the $20.00 note being the first. Some wag spent a half day on the street trying to get people, including an on-duty PC, to accept one, but with no luck. Stupidity cuts both ways.

As to hanging, bobbing 'bit's and so on, I have a clear (though still possibly incorrect) memory of a medieval case which popped up in a course on the history of English crime and criminals. The wife of the house was issuing false coin. was in fact notorious for it, but when the law showed up she simply pointed them to her husband. Poor weak females were deemed incapable of such sophisticated crimes back then. Couldn't vote either. The punishment for debasing the king's coinage back then? Having molten lead poured into your ears. Ouch!

In 1124 the coinage of England was so adulterated that Henry I ordered the moneyers of England to lose their right hand and be emasculated, the order was carried out (probably with some gusto) by Roger of Salisbury

Paul

[Mervyn Mitton]

What a good idea - let's have a comp. to see who we would suggest these days ?

[Michael Johnson]

Here's a list of coining offences at the Old Bailey resulting in death sentences: http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/search.jsp?form=searchHomePage&_divs_fulltext=&kwparse=and&_persNames_surname=&_persNames_given=&_persNames_alias=&_offences_offenceCategory_offenceSubcategory=royalOffences%7CcoiningOffences&_verdicts_verdictCategory_verdictSubcategory=&_punishments_punishmentCategory_punishmentSubcategory=death&_divs_div0Type_div1Type=&fromMonth=&fromYear=&toMonth=&toYear=&ref=&submit.x=28&submit.y=4

Note that in the 17th and 18th centuries women sentenced to death for Treason were burned. It was supposed that to exhibit them naked as they were quartered (after hanging and drawing) was bad for morality. In practice they were supposed to be strangled once the fire was lit, but sometimes the hangman wasn't fast enough. Of course women could get reprieved if they were found to be pregnant.

As the tour guide at Fort Charlotte Nassau said to us back in 1964: "Aren't you glad you didn't live in those days?"

Edited January 21, 2013 by Michael Johnson

[paul wood]

There is an interesting 18th century case of a forger who sent his son with a jug to the ale house to purchase beer, he gave his son a few of his recently made halfpennies to facilitate the purchase. When the boy handed the money over the landlord remarked that they were rather warm. The boy replied " of course they are my dad just made them." it shows how your children can get you into trouble.

Paul

[paul wood]

The Turks were great ones for forging Sovereigns. The 1980's were particularly bad - so always check.

With this example you can see the base metal showing through.

There is one possibility - perhaps this was made in the 1st WW for distribution overseas - POW's etc.

The George 5th. head would be correct and the gold would have worn by now to this degree. Only a

thought - however, the lack of a date would prevent it ever going into circulation in the UK. Don't forget,

we didn't go off the 'gold standard until 1922. I would have thought a forgery made for general distribution

would have a date. Mervyn

Mervyn,

It's the post 1927 head. I supect it's the sort of thing you can pick up in the jewellery shops in Saudi today.

Paul

[lambert]

In this example the seller does not know what is selling (possibly) he put the sale as "unidentified medal" with a paltry price of $ 20.00 .. I recognized the image of King George V, caught my attention ..

If it really was a fake coin from the time of WWI is very interesting ..

But money is money ..

Lambert