Screw Press

[Sword 1,380]

I have just been to Italy for a break and had a really great time. I visited a museum which had a floor devoted to coins. Rather sadly, I was the only visitor on that floor! Most of the coins on display were hammered or early milled. The staff was so pleased that I was particularly interested in the screw press and she even show me how it worked. The press was smaller than I expected and would only have needed just two operators. She even pointed out the gold coin on display that was made by that particular press.

A thought passed my mind though. Would there be any danger of anyone pressing out coins today using these old screw presses? Assuming it is done, would it be possible to tell gold coins press out today compared to those produced centries ago?

[DaveG38 401]

I have just been to Italy for a break and had a really great time. I visited a museum which had a floor devoted to coins. Rather sadly, I was the only visitor on that floor! Most of the coins on display were hammered or early milled. The staff was so pleased that I was particularly interested in the screw press and she even show me how it worked. The press was smaller than I expected and would only have needed just two operators. She even pointed out the gold coin on display that was made by that particular press.

A thought passed my mind though. Would there be any danger of anyone pressing out coins today using these old screw presses? Assuming it is done, would it be possible to tell gold coins press out today compared to those produced centries ago?

Screw Press.JPG

No problem with doing it at all, provided that the user were to use gold of the correct fineness of the coin they were striking. But that's rather pointless, unless they were taking a worn specimen and 'improving' the grade by re-striking.

[Peter 615]

With silver you can pick up job lots of poor quality detector finds.

This could be your raw material.A couple of earth filled flower pots for storage.

I would imagine it would't be too difficult to dupe a finds officer.