Help. What is this? Coin from 1623. Southern California

lchobbs

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Southern California
Ok, so I need some help. I found this coin a few years ago and have had it in my drawer. Daniel Sedgwick says it is not Spanish. Any ideas about what it is or where it came from. Not much activity on the California coast in 1623. Tom thought it might be a recent drop, but even so, what is it? Any help would be great. E1404F91-9A0D-451E-BAF2-4F9CCB40CECE.jpeg

08600D8A-FE88-4A7E-A84C-D71372CDB2A6.jpeg
 
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Looks like a Scottish-type Crowned Lion Rampant coat of arms. King James VI era if your date is correct. However, I would expect letters where you may be seeing numbers, and the crown appears offset-- not centered over the shielded lion. The lion's legs also appear oddly thin. Dunno. Can't find a matching front and back as yours online for that time period, either. But, you need a qualified opinion, not mine.
 
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Looks like a Scottish-type Crowned Lion Rampant coat of arms. King James VI era if your date is correct. However, I would expect letters where you may be seeing numbers, and the crown appears offset-- not centered over the shielded lion. The lion's legs also appear oddly thin. Dunno. Can't find a matching front and back as yours online for that time period, either. But, you need a qualified opinion, not mine.

Scottish makes sense. The date is under a cross in the form of an X, which I think is a St. Andrew's Cross. I have a scottish token that is in that shape.

-- Tom
 
Thanks

Thanks you guys. It is such a weird thing. I will be getting it into a coin expert who hopefully can shed some light on it. Happy hunting folks!
 
While checking on vcoins.com looking for coins with a St. Andrew's Cross, I found that lion and sword in coins from the Netherlands under Spanish occupation in the early 17th century. Most of the Scottish coins had St. Andrew with the cross, but the ones from the Spanish Netherlands did not.

You may want to check out that possibility.

-- Tom
 
Possible road to go down for an ID?

Morning Doug.

"Definitely a Spanish Colonial 'cob' & possibly Bolivian(a lot of them are) but, I can't find an exact match..... I'll let you know if I do.

Cheers

Tony."
 
Thank You All

I really appreciate all of you help with this everyone. I still have no idea how it wound up attached to a bunch of shells on an Orange County, California beach. These mysteries sure are fun though. Really glad that you all are helping.
Chuck:D
 
Great find!! :shock:

I found a cob up here and it too is most likely from the 1600-1700.
Mine is to worn to tell much of what it was.

During the gold rush the miners brought anything silver or gold they had for there grub stake when the arrived.
So if all they had were OLD silvers then that's what they brought and with no pockets back then, it was sure that some were lost.

Truly a Great find for us here on the West coast!!!
CONGRATS
 

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Thanks for the help

Ex_libris, I’m pretty sure it is silver. Thanks for the lead on the Netherlands. I’m thinking more and more that it is Spanish Netherlands. The side without the lion looks more like a cross to me than the X patterns you found. I really appreciate your input.

Chuck
 
Sorry I'm no help with an ID here, but just wondering how you determined the year 1623? Is that clearly legible?


OK, I see it now...the 623 looks fairly clear.
 
Looks like Spanish Netherlands

Thanks all for your help with this. It looks like it is from the Spanish Netherlands because of the lion has a sword in hand and arrows in the other. It is 2cm in diameter and weighs 7.3 grams. I'll keep looking.
 
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