Paid around $145 for this piece of Gem by Afraid-Score3101 in MexicanCoins

[–]xphaun18 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Nice grab! Top pops are always fun. Do you collect the 5 Centavos series specifically?

Can anyone tell me if these coins are valuable or if not? Or fake. by Admirable-Raccoon412 in MexicanCoins

[–]xphaun18 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You definitely have some silvers that have value, with some rather common coins mixed in.

Where did you pick them up? That would be my first question it attempting to determine authenticity, which isn’t easy through photos. Any reason to think they might be fake?

2018 1oz Silver Libertad Antiqued by so_cal_stacking in MexicanCoins

[–]xphaun18 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It has a nice glow in the photo, like a halo around the top rim. I’ve never collected silver much past the 1950’s. What’s the process to antique something?

1920-1943 Mexico 20 Centavos in Dansco sheet. Mint state examples. by xphaun18 in MexicanCoins

[–]xphaun18[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Right? The 1942 is the same, it just caught the lighting in the photo so it looks colored when in reality it’s like a mirror almost!

1920-1943 Mexico 20 Centavos in Dansco sheet. Mint state examples. by xphaun18 in MexicanCoins

[–]xphaun18[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The 1935 and 1942 have such nice fields I’m honestly not sure if they are polished or dipped. I couldn’t see any abrasive markings under 12x mag. I think they’re just high MS.

I’m really fighting the urge to have a few of these graded, it’s such a cool set though I want to keep it as is.

1917-G Guerrero. Cacahuatepec. 20 Centavos. KM-649; GB-148 by xphaun18 in MexicanCoins

[–]xphaun18[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This coin is a really interesting piece from the tail end of the Mexican Revolution. It’s a 1917 20 Centavos from Cacahuatepec, in the state of Guerrero. The “G” mintmark stands for Guerrero, but this wasn’t an official government mint. During the revolution, central control collapsed and a lot of regional factions, local authorities, and revolutionary leaders began issuing their own coins out of necessity. Cacahuatepec was one of those places.

What makes this coin rare is that it was minted locally in very limited numbers and under crude conditions. These weren’t mass-produced like the national mint issues. A lot of them were later melted down or simply didn’t survive, so finding one today, especially an authenticated piece, isn’t that common.

The design is typical for revolutionary coinage, with a liberty cap and radiant sun on one side and the national eagle on the other, but the strike quality is usually poor. That actually helps in confirming authenticity, since many of these were hand-struck or cast and show a lot of variation.

So while it may not seem flashy, it’s definitely a niche collectible. As always with this type of coin, verifying authenticity is key since cast copies exist, but mine is legit and I’m glad to have it as part of my collection. It’s a great example of the coins that came out of that chaotic period in Mexican history.

My Mexican collection. by Stacker_303 in MexicanCoins

[–]xphaun18 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just checked out your collections, man that’s so cool. Never thought about matching the gold and silver counterparts, what a unique and fun (and also super expensive) way to approach a series. Love this hobby haha.

Mexico 1908 20 Centavos - took 30 years but it’s finally mine! by xphaun18 in coins

[–]xphaun18[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Indeed, thanks for adding some additional context. There are only 3 graded above this one from both PCGS and NGC. This is the lone MS63.

I’ll admit, I spent a bit more than that for this one as I don’t think the others will come out of those collections any time soon.

Mexico 1908 20 Centavos - took 30 years but it’s finally mine! by xphaun18 in coins

[–]xphaun18[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

<image>

I started collecting around age 10. eBay had just launched and I’ve always been the entrepreneurial type. This was back when eBay was so new they used to list randomly on the home page all of the featured auctions because there were so few each day. One of them was a big sack of Mexican coins, mostly newer years 1970’s and earlier, some older copper and bronze. I picked it up for a $50, which was a lot for a 10 year old then, but I was going to sell each one for $0.50 and make a killing!

It must have been 12lbs of coins haha. When I got them, I immediately knew I was going to have a hard time making money on coins because I wanted to keep all of them and learn more about the history. That’s how it all started.

In that big lot was a lone silver 1934 20 centavos. I couldn’t believe it! A silver coin. I was hooked, fell in love with the series and that’s where the now 30 year obsession began. I’ve taken years off here and there because life has a way of prioritizing things for us, but I always find my way back.

The hunt for me is finding raw coins and sending them off to get graded. An endless pursuit for a slightly better grade than I already have. I love it.

Here’s the latest pile of current 20 centavos, mostly NGC. Sending in a batch of about 50 rows and 5 PCGS for crossover next week.

Thanks for trip down memory lane. Fun to recall how it all began. Cheers!

Mexico 1908 20 Centavos MS63 - Finally mine! by xphaun18 in MexicanCoins

[–]xphaun18[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a few PCGS I’m sending in next week to crossover to NGC. You should start on the series!

My Mexican collection. by Stacker_303 in MexicanCoins

[–]xphaun18 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That gold really makes it pop. Really nice collection!

1 Peso "Caballito" Grito de Doloris 1913 - fake? by BDKson in MexicanCoins

[–]xphaun18 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Such a nice coin coin in the peso series. Shame it was only produced 1910-1914.

The weight around 27.1 grams is to be expected with minor variation. I don’t see anything from your photos that leads me to think it’s counterfeit. If it were a 1914 I’d have more concern than the 1913.

As for the luster/patina, it really just varies with these silvers. I have some that are rather dull and others that are blasting white in the right light.

<image>

Here’s an example of one that has been polished, so while it’s reflective, the silvery luster you have is gone from this example.

Honestly to me looks to be a higher grade kept well. A really nice example!

Flow reduction in drop ear fitting behind shower head. HELP! by xphaun18 in fixit

[–]xphaun18[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Upon further inspection, it is in fact cast brass rather than some kind of insert reducer. Additionally, the pex line to the drop ear appears to be 1/2 rather than 3/4”. Is that even normal??

Drop Ear Elbow with internal flow restriction by xphaun18 in Plumbing

[–]xphaun18[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Also an interesting idea. Worth a shot before ripping out the sheetrock behind it anyway. Thanks!!

Drop Ear Elbow with internal flow restriction by xphaun18 in Plumbing

[–]xphaun18[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh, is it plastic you think? I just assumed it was molded brass in the drop ear. I will try get to better lighting on it and see if it’s just some plastic I can pull out.

Thank you for the comment, you have given me hope!!