All things Elizabeth I

[Peckris 579]

http://offer.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&_trksid=p2047675.l2565&rt=nc&item=370696830493

That's one of the nicest pewter repros I've seen

[Coinery 1,148]

A very interesting contemporary counterfeit Elizabeth I shilling here. It rings convincingly, is appropriately thin, and is hammered from home-fashioned dies! It's very well done, and a happy addition for me!

Some of the issues: Lions and Lis (and, of course, letters) are not to type for TUN and are primitive. The bust is an attempt at Bust 3A (with some decent detailing, such as veil pointing at the forehead, and decent replication in hairlines and embroidery), which never of course appeared on the TUN coinage. The nose and other facial features are missing on account of a gouge, which isn't so clear in the image.

It's around 1 gram under weight, but not so shocking a difference, given the grade.

Cost me as much as the genuine article, wasn't expecting that!

[Coinery 1,148]

And, of course...

[TomGoodheart 400]

I do find these things interesting. In that while there are a few counterfeits that are shockingly crude, such as this Charles shilling

others are quite .. artful ... such as (particularly the reverse of) this one and I do wonder if ex-mint employees didn't sometimes get into the act of fake diemaking?