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Gold Mexican 8 Escudo Contemporary Counterfeit, S.S. Central America Treasure [146608]

Currency:USD Category:Artifacts / Shipwreck Artifacts Start Price:5,000.00 USD Estimated At:10,000.00 - 150,000.00 USD
Gold Mexican 8 Escudo Contemporary Counterfeit, S.S. Central America Treasure [146608]
SOLD
31,000.00USD+ (6,200.00) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2023 Mar 05 @ 13:27UTC-8 : PST/AKDT
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Contemporary counterfeit of a Mexican gold 8 escudo coin recovered from the purser's safe of the S.S. Central America shipwreck. Certified and encapsulated by PCGS in a plastic holder with "ONE PINCH" of coarse gold dust also recovered from the shipwreck site. PCGS annotation reads // 1853-GoPM 8 Esc / PCGS / Contemporary / Counterfeit //. Reverse has the signature of Bob Evans, chief scientist and historian of the recovery project and // I certify this / coin and gold dust / were recovered from / the S.S. Central / America / 676419.90/35474708 //. This coin is a gold-silver alloy, and the genuine coins are a gold-copper alloy. The motivation for counterfeiting this way is somewhat of a mystery, however, hard currency was in short supply in the Gold Rush-Era Western U.S., and that may have been reason enough.

This contemporary counterfeit was found in a bag recovered from the purser's safe in 2014. There was a wide assortment of US and foreign gold and silver coins in the bag, totaling nearly $500. This was a substantial sum, but probably not the consignor's entire bankroll. There were four other Mexican 8 escudos coins, two of them like the current item, contemporary counterfeits dated 1853, along with two genuine 8 escudos, an 1852 and an 1837. It is interesting that this coin and its two identical siblings were passing in circulation of a sort alongside genuine examples of the same coin.

SEE ARTICLE by Fred N. Holabird & Robert D. Evans in our print catalog, available on holabirdamericana.com

Provenance: SS Central America Collection