Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator UPDATED

[woody50]

Does anyone recognize this possible coin weight, or the gold coin for which
it could have been made.

It is dated 1653 and shows two crocodiles/alligators on it, along with the date
and other letters. It was found in Germany.

From A friend, possible answer(?)
There are three letters below the year and more letters below the croc(odile). No gold coin
shows a crocodile that we know, but it could be a city coat of arms. Like Nimes in
France [home of demins] which has a croc(odile) chained to a palmtree as its coat of arms.

UPDATE
The mass of the object is 3.74 grams
The three objects above the croc appear to be little birds.
It is though that it could be a coin weight for a ducat, although which one?
A new photo, but not much improvement in that.
Appears to be a log under the croc, he is maybe climbing up the log.]

 

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[Iron Patch]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

Until I seen the find Nimes is what did come to mind. I found a bale seal from there a few years ago.

I think you will get an answer. cool find.

 

[shaun7]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

That's a nice coin weight Woody

 

[ivan salis]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

possible jamaican ? -- nimes good guess too.

 

[celtex]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

That's a nice coin weight Woody

How was a "coin weight" used?

 

[woody50]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

possible jamaican ? -- nimes good guess too.

In 1653 Jamacian was in Spanish hands, I would imagine they would have made Spanish gold coins and coin weights. Of course I can not shut out the idea that the Spanish saw crocs there and had Spain make a coin with them on it, but that is pretty far fetched. Thanks anyway!

 

[woody50]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

That's a nice coin weight Woody

How was a "coin weight" used?

I think the best is go to google and type in 'coin weight'. But in short a coin weight was used to determine if the weight of a gold or sometimes silver coin was correct. People used to shave every silver or gold coin off and save the shavings, that's is why modern coins (well, saw from 1800 and so) have ridges on the edges, you can see if a coin is shaved. Before the ridges sometimes you could see but coin weights were used quite a bit, you received the value of the coin - the value of the shavings. There were in the coin weight boxes (wooden boxes with the weights and a weigh scale) a paper showing what the weight should be.

There are very few silver coin weights, they were very heavy. Also the earlier coin weights were round.

 

[Silver Searcher]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator



Woody might this be a coin weight, of a coin from Italy :P There is a ancient Roman Town of Nicirmes..with a symbol of a Crocodile chained to a Palm tree, with the inscription....COLNEM... an Abbrevaiton of Colonia Nemausus...meaning the Colony or Settlement of...

http://www.google.co.uk/images?rlz=...tle&resnum=4&ved=0CDMQsAQwAw&biw=1259&bih=529

SS

 

[ivan salis]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

sure its not 1655 * thats the year jamaica was taken by the brits. and it has both crocs and palm trees as its symbols

 

[Lucas]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

The croc chained to a tree looks exactly like... a croc chained to a tree. This isn't that close.

Would like to know more about the croc chained to a tree tho. It shows up lots on French bale seals here in the Great Lakes. Fur trade, Colonial Michilimackinac, and all that. To 1760.

 

[woody50]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

The croc chained to a tree looks exactly like... a croc chained to a tree. This isn't that close.

Would like to know more about the croc chained to a tree tho. It shows up lots on French bale seals here in the Great Lakes. Fur trade, Colonial Michilimackinac, and all that. To 1760.

Go to the link from Silver Searcher and click on some of the photos...

 

[woody50]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

sure its not 1655 * thats the year jamaica was taken by the brits. and it has both crocs and palm trees as its symbols

That's what I thought at first, but looking at it carefully it sure looks like a 3 not a 5, compared to the 5 just before the 3 (if you know what I mean...)

 

[Lucas]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

OK this is what I wanted to know...

Nîmes is historically known for its textiles. Denim, the fabric of blue jeans, derives its name from this city (Serge de Nîmes).

Bales of textiles from Nîmes.

 

[Iron Patch]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

 

[Lucas]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

Whoa! Nice one. VG condition.

 

[ivan salis]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

cool lead seal.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

possible jamaican ? -- nimes good guess too.

In 1653 Jamacian was in Spanish hands, I would imagine they would have made Spanish gold coins and coin weights. Of course I can not shut out the idea that the Spanish saw crocs there and had Spain make a coin with them on it, but that is pretty far fetched. Thanks anyway!

Jamaican coat of arms.

 

[ivan salis]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

croc on a log

 

[woody50]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

Great seal Iron Patch, I guess this one is not from there then. You would not know a date from this seal would you?

 

[woody50]

Re: Coin Weight (?) 1653 with Crocodile/Alligator

croc on a log

Could be, its difficult to see what all the rest of the objects/text are.