1828 Half Sovereign with pearls?

[MichaelC62 0]

Hello. I am look at buying an 1828 Half sovereign, but it has what looks like little pearls on the obverse around the King's head and especially around the date. Is it fake or some sort of damage? I would appreciate any advise.

[azda 983]

Is the coin from a reputable person/dealer?

[oldcopper 286]

38 minutes ago, MichaelC62 said:

Hello. I am look at buying an 1828 Half sovereign, but it has what looks like little pearls on the obverse around the King's head and especially around the date. Is it fake or some sort of damage? I would appreciate any advise.

Bubbling can be a sign of a cast, caused by trapped air bubbles. if so this would be a forgery. I'm not an expert though, and you should see it in the hand. Also, are you buying it from a reputable source?

[MichaelC62 0]

Yes. This coin passed through the main auction house in New Zealand in 2019 and is presently being sold by a reputable seller.

However I have issues with these pearls on the obverse. It is not a cheap coin and there are a lot of pearls. I have never seen these before on a genuine sovereign or half sovereign. I have not been able to find any on the internet or a reasonable explanation for these marks. The only ones I have found are on cast forgeries.

I would really appreciate if someone could explain what these pearl are. The seller and other dealers I know do not know what they are. 

 

[Rob 3,228]

The only real option if the coin is genuine is a rusted obverse die. It is somewhat comforting to see there are no spots on the reverse which you would expect to see if it was a cast copy, as casting bubbles would almost certainly be on both sides. Rust spots can be big or small. Here are a couple of coins from rusted dies. A Henry VII angel with a heavily rusted obverse.

[Rob 3,228]

And this 1762 quarter guinea has a few on the obverse too

[Rob 3,228]

Or this 1697B halfcrown has both large and small rust spots on the obverse.

[MichaelC62 0]

Thank you so much for your help Rob. I appreciate your expertise. 

 

[VickySilver 885]

Yes, he beat me to the punch! I concur on the rusted die as cause and is certainly seen on occasion, though usually on older bits. Thanks, Rob, your energy astounds....

 

At first I didn't know what the reference to "pearls" was as I'd never heard that one.