QUOTE(grivna1726 @ Jun 19 2006, 11:50 PM)
I have read the PDF files. I don't doubt the scientific validity of the metal analysis performed and agree that coins of high purity could not have been made at the time that the platinum pieces were originally made for circulation.
However, I have difficulty with the assumption that because the high purity coins were struck at a later date, that they are therefore forgeries.
The authors seem to take the position that "novodel" and "forgery" are synonyms, a view which I reject as extreme and reflective of an apparent misunderstanding of what novodels are. It is important to remember that genuine novodels were made by the Russian mint with official approval and sometimes using original dies. They are officially produced restrikes.
There are sellers on ebay who try to pass off modern fakes as "novodels", but these are frauds that serve only to confuse people.
The US 1804 dollar is an American novodel, officially struck after 1804 using newly made dies (there were no US silver dollars struck in 1804). Yet very few collectors of US coins would say the 1804 dollar is a "forgery" because it was actually made sometime in the 1830s.
What the the authors have done is to demonstrate that original Russian platinum coins can be distinguished from later novodels by studying the metallic composition. This is useful information, but the assumption that novodels and forgeries are the same thing is just bad numismatics.
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However, I have difficulty with the assumption that because the high purity coins were struck at a later date, that they are therefore forgeries.
The authors seem to take the position that "novodel" and "forgery" are synonyms, a view which I reject as extreme and reflective of an apparent misunderstanding of what novodels are. It is important to remember that genuine novodels were made by the Russian mint with official approval and sometimes using original dies. They are officially produced restrikes.
There are sellers on ebay who try to pass off modern fakes as "novodels", but these are frauds that serve only to confuse people.
The US 1804 dollar is an American novodel, officially struck after 1804 using newly made dies (there were no US silver dollars struck in 1804). Yet very few collectors of US coins would say the 1804 dollar is a "forgery" because it was actually made sometime in the 1830s.
What the the authors have done is to demonstrate that original Russian platinum coins can be distinguished from later novodels by studying the metallic composition. This is useful information, but the assumption that novodels and forgeries are the same thing is just bad numismatics.
[right][snapback]227248[/snapback][/right]
All of them are valid point Grivna. I have to agree. Indeed, the writer was extremely carefuly to use the word "novodel" in the story, and it doesn't suprise me why. My question is this: when the platinum rubles were recalled back in 1845, Russia has already been minting such coins for 18 years. At that particular time, such coins are supposely "common", unless it was proven to be so unpopular that the mint successfully managed to retrive most of them AND melt them down. And to consider the mintage number of such coins minted, novodels of 3 rubles is not something I would expect. (6 and 12 rubles are another story though)
Pure platinum refinery technology was only developed later in 1870, so I can assuming that if a 100% pure platinum restrike was to be made, it could have been made at that time. Within a span of 25 years since the last platinum ruble was struck and for someone to ask for novodel is not something I can imagine, unlike the 1835 family ruble.
What mystifies me is on the topic if Saint Petersburg mint actually felt the need to refine till such fineness, suppsely if the restrikes did occur. Technology wise, I wouldn't be suprised if the mint imported it from England or developed their own. I I suppose it can be possible after 20 odd years, when the technology started to revolutionize on the refinery of platinum... the mint took whatever request that came in... I was thinking that it could have occured during the odd restrike era of the early Soviet era, which is when the Gangut ruble was restruck, but that makes me wonder if dies can last longer than 70+ years.
There is something that I must insist though, that is the platinum coinage design is not something terribly difficult to counterfeit because of it's simplistic design. If one is willing to make less profit, there isn't a reason why such coins are difficult to counterfeit, even in genuine platinum.
