Vadim: Ah, I hadn't even thought of that. It makes sense:
- The raised edge round the square doesn't look like the result of striking, but could be the result of pushing an attachment into soft solder
- All I can see inside is a shapeless splodge
- When cleaned (lemon juice and distilled water) the
area inside the square took on a slightly coppery tinge, as if there was a different metal there from the rest of the coin
On the other hand,
- Hanging a pendant there would leave the kings
head upside down, which doesn't seem the obvious thing to do
On balance I think you must be right. Thanks!
Graham