Indonesia (Dutch East Indies) 8 Reales (Fakes are possible) 1601

Check the picture. It is from MPO Direct in Ijsselstein, the Netherlands. MPO's selling price? (Hold on to your hat, Brette) 35000 euros, or about $45,400 US dollars. Obviously, you have a rare coin!

This is a silver 8 real from the United Amsterdam Company. The inscriptions read ET CIVITATIS AMSTELREDAMENSIS and INSIGNIA HOLLANDIAE. The coat of arms with three Xs is that of Amsterdam.

Catalog values run like this:

worn: $2000 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $6500
well preserved: $10000

(Note: MPO's piece is fully uncirculated, and the catalogs don't cover that grade for this rare coin.)

If your coin is genuine, Brette, it is worth a ton of money and you should take steps to preserve its value.

NEVER CLEAN A COIN. CLEANING RUINS VALUE.

All valuable coins are subject to counterfeiting. The two images below compare a genuine 8 reales to what appears to be cast replicas. The details of the pattern are precisely similar, leading me to the conclusion that the fake is a casting of a genuine coin. On one picture there is also a small imperfection (highlighted) which is another give-away for castings. The NGC Price Guide for this coin indicates the weight of a genuine piece to be 27.3099 grams, and this would be another good indicator of real/fake status.

Coin authentication is an extremely technical endeavor. To be sure about authenticity, enlist the experts at one of the major grading services, PCGS, NGC, ANACS, ICG (look them up on the Internet).

If you would like, use the Contact Us page to start an e-mail exchange with CoinQuest so you can send pictures. We may be able to discern if your coin is genuine or counterfeit. If counterfeit, of course, it is worth zero.

CoinQuest thanks MPO Direct for use of their coin image. It is a beauty!
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