1. What is a cob? Cob comes from "Cabo", meaning "end" in Spanish, as in the end of a bar of silver. The early cobs were cut from a strap of poured silver. The smith would chop the end off, trim it to weight, and then strike it. Then move down the strap and cut another piece off. Later, they often poured the silver out in individual pieces, resulting in more uniformly round planchettes, but they still called them cobs!
3. Do you really make them yourself? Surely you mean you have someone in some other country make them to your specifications? I make them 1000% myself, in my shop in New Hampshire. I start with a bag of fine silver BBs, weigh out the exact amount I want, throw it in a crucible in my forge to melt it, then pour it into a graphite crucible on the anvil and let it harden into a nice ingot, dump the ingot out, pound it flat with a 4pound mallet, anneal it to re-soften it for striking, sand it down a bit to get it shiny and smooth ready for striking, and strike it between two hardened steel dies I handdrew the designs for. It is A LOT of work for each one.
4. How much are they? That fluctuates a bit depending on what size cob you are getting and the current cost of silver. In general the traditional 8 Reales 27 gram cobs are $55. But I also offer 4 Reales 14 grammers for about $45. Pine tree shillings are $35 As well as full 1 ounce (31 grams) versions for about $60. I make the bezels seen in many of the pictures for about $60, or the simple silver loop for $10. Leather satchels are about $10. Those are all guidelines depending on current silver pricing.
5. But...what are they made from? SOLID .999 fine Silver or 24K gold!!!! ( I get that one a lot)
6. Not so much a question, but super useful to know: as i've mentioned, these are made in the EXACT same way as the originals from the 1600s. As such, they are quite rustic. These are not pristine pieces. Quite the contrary; they come out all sorts of shapes and sizes, each one varying quite a bit how much of the die actually transferred to the silver. Many even have cracks at the edge from pounding the silver flat. But again, that is exactly how they are supposed to be, JUST like the originals. And I make my bezels to match, rustic; they are beautiful, strong sterling silver, and I still sand them down and make them decent looking, but they are still very much so rustic, as if a real 1600's pirate whipped up a bezel. That is the idea, that is my vision for these. Plenty of jewelers out there make poured flawless replicas using a mold, and accompany them by flawless bezels. But they aren't "struck" like the originals, they are way too perfect to be a realistic piece a pirate would have worn back in the day, AND they will cost you several hundred or even thousands. Mine are rustic, made traditionally, and something you won't find anywhere else in the world.
7. How do I pay? I accept all the main online payment methods; PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, Zelle, and can now accept credit cards through Square. I also accept certified /cashier's checks, cash or will trade you for silver or sometimes just the right sword if it is one I am looking for. If you want to use a credit card, just email me and I'll make it happen.
8. Your site is confusing. Yeah....I am always trying to improve it. It is hard to have all 20 options listed neatly for every single cob. If you don't see something you want, shoot me a message!
9. Can I get my own die set made for my group? Yes! I have helped several organizations now get nice die sets made. Then I can hold on to them and strike you cobs as needed, or ship the dies to you for you to use! Just send me a message and I'll make it happen!
10. It has been a few days since I ordered and I haven't heard anything. As I say elsewhere, this is a hobby that I fit in inbetween a real job and life. I sail and travel a lot, and get sent away for work for weeks on at at times. And depending how many orders come in at any given time, I may also have to wait a few days to get enough silver in for orders. So, rest assured, I received and saw your order. It is in the queue and I will be on it shortly! In general I get most orders done within a week. If it is a bigger or special project, it may be a bit longer. But I those cases I am most likely in contact with you about it. If you are in a rush, please contact me and I may be able to expedite your order. Just reach out.
8. Your site is confusing. Yeah....I am always trying to improve it. It is hard to have all 20 options listed neatly for every single cob. If you don't see something you want, shoot me a message!
9. Can I get my own die set made for my group? Yes! I have helped several organizations now get nice die sets made. Then I can hold on to them and strike you cobs as needed, or ship the dies to you for you to use! Just send me a message and I'll make it happen!
10. It has been a few days since I ordered and I haven't heard anything. As I say elsewhere, this is a hobby that I fit in inbetween a real job and life. I sail and travel a lot, and get sent away for work for weeks on at at times. And depending how many orders come in at any given time, I may also have to wait a few days to get enough silver in for orders. So, rest assured, I received and saw your order. It is in the queue and I will be on it shortly! In general I get most orders done within a week. If it is a bigger or special project, it may be a bit longer. But I those cases I am most likely in contact with you about it. If you are in a rush, please contact me and I may be able to expedite your order. Just reach out.