Old weird token with horse on it, Farley Coin, Any ideas.....

[ugotit22]

Hey guys
i went to this 1800's farm house today and come up with this in the front yard. It is copper about the size of a half dollar. It has what looks like a horses head with some strange symbols and one side. The other side looks like the bust of a women wearing a wreath around her head.
I have no idea what it could be.
any information would be great.
Thanks
Keith

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

is it rare because there is little known about the replica's/there wasnt many made. Or someother reason.

I dont know if its that rare (12 specimans are known) but you may want to read Professor McMenamins assessment of this "coin".

I just received a reply from Professor Mark Mcmenamin!

Dear Dale Brennan (aka History Hunter),

I received your request to comment on your new find of a bronze putative ancient coin with the palm tree showing dangling roots. This coin is an example of one of the mysterious Farley Coins. There has been much discussion of these coins in popular and scholarly publications. Some have considered these coins to be evidence of a Carthaginian presence in America. However, thanks to new discoveries such as yours, it now appears that this coin series in fact represents fantasy copies of ancient coin designs combining Greek and Carthaginian elements. I was able to demonstrate this in the following book:

McMenamin, M. A. 2000. Phoenicians, Fakes and Barry Fell: Solving the Mystery of Carthaginian Coins Found in America. Meanma Press, South Hadley, Massachusetts. ISBN 1893882012.

The late Gloria Farley, who had read of my Carthaginian map coin research, first brought these fantasy replicas to my attention. Her specimen was very worn and corroded. I was able, in 2000, to locate a Farley Coin in Northampton, MA, from the same or very similar dies that still retained mint luster under a lacquer coating. Thus no way can this be an ancient bronze coin. Nevertheless, your coin remains an important piece of American history and will henceforth be referred to as the ?Wisconsin Farley Coin.? Who minted these fantasy coins, and why, remains a mystery. Also mysterious is why these coins are scattered all over Eastern and Midwestern North America. Somebody went to a lot of trouble to mint these coins, probably well over one hundred years ago. I would very much like to learn the answers to these questions. Farley coins such as yours sell on the open market in the 50-100 dollar range. Eleven specimens are known, from five different die varieties. Your coin is of the Alabama-type die variety. These coins will likely become more valuable as we learn more about them. For example, how deeply was your coin buried?

At present, no authentic Carthaginian coins have been found in North America. Jeremiah Epstein in his 1980 article in Current Anthropology actually mentions one of the "Farley coins" in his paper. He accepted it as a genuine ancient coin and did not identify it as a copy or fantasy piece.

Carthaginian map coin theory, on the other hand, is still going strong and has gained additional supporters. The most recent paper on this subject is the following:

McMenamin, M. 2009. The mystery of the Carthaginian map coins. NI (Numismatics International) Bulletin, v. 44, nos. 7/8, p. 125-126.

You have made an excellent and important find. If you wish to post my reply to TreasureNet, please feel free to do so, but please let me know when you post it, many thanks.

Happy hunting,

Mark McMenamin

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

Unless anyone has an objection your find will be forever know as the CESHIRE CONNECTICUT FARLEY COIN.

 

[ugotit22]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

Unless anyone has an objection your find will be forever know as the CESHIRE CONNECTICUT FARLEY COIN.

lol im so down for that name
this is really cool. i had no idea that this coin( although not acient) had such historic value. This is all very cool.

 

[intimer]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

that's a mighty cool coin!

congrats

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

Unless anyone has an objection your find will be forever know as the CESHIRE CONNECTICUT FARLEY COIN.

lol im so down for that name
this is really cool. i had no idea that this coin( although not acient) had such historic value. This is all very cool.

So be it. Henceforth it shall be referred to as such. Your coin is of the Alabama-type die variety. For the record, how deeply was it buried? What was the era of any other relics found? Does yours have a hole on top?

 

[ugotit22]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

Unless anyone has an objection your find will be forever know as the CESHIRE CONNECTICUT FARLEY COIN.

lol im so down for that name
this is really cool. i had no idea that this coin( although not acient) had such historic value. This is all very cool.

So be it. Henceforth it shall be referred to as such. For the record, how deeply was it buried? What was the era of any other relics found?

i found parts of an old pocket watch like 5 feet away. i also found an old buckle like 2 feet away. the coin was only and inch to 2 inches down. The yard has produced some nice coins in the past yr. Some large cents and mercs and such. Thats what i thought it was at first a LC. watch was maybe late 1800's early 1900's, buckle was early 1800's. No, no holes at all.

 

[Oroblanco]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

Tag post COOL coin find amigo!

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

tag

 

[creeper71]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

tag

I seen this in a few post what does tag mean?

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

tag

I seen this in a few post what does tag mean?

Means to tag it, so as to follow it in my unread replies.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

Im curious if it has a hole in the top.

 

[ugotit22]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

Im curious if it has a hole in the top.

it doesnt

 

[72cheyenne]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

Tag. These things seem to be popping up lately. Maybe somebody will find another before the years end.....stuff happens in threes.

 

[hogge]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

As it stands, and what the gentleman said about this piece, I VOTE BANNER!

 

[ugotit22]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

As it stands, and what the gentleman said about this piece, I VOTE BANNER!

i hope so
ive never been up there but ive always wanted to
thanx for the vote

 

[poppy in pa.]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

WTG!! BANNER !!

 

[LGS]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

Ok watched the other thread from start to finish. Since this "coin" or "token" has no hole in it, doesn't that mean it's not a watch fob like the ones from the Sears catalog posted by Big Cy. I'm not saying that it's a ancient coin at all, but it does add a different twist to this.

 

[allen]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

nice find !!!

 

[Oroblanco]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

If I had found this, I would spend the money and send it to a certified expert in ancient coins - David Sear. A link was posted in the other thread to his site. If David Sear says it is 1900's Sears Roebuck jewelry, I would take that as conclusive - on the other hand if Sear says it is in fact ancient, I would take that as the final word. Otherwise we are relying on opinions of people who are not recognized experts in the field of ancient Punic coins, and subject to errors.
Oroblanco

PS If I could afford it, I would offer to buy your coin amigo, VERY COOL and IMHO it could be ancient!

 

[Rusted_Iron]

Re: Old weird token with horse on it, Help......

If David Sear says it is 1900's Sears Roebuck jewelry, I would take that as conclusive - on the other hand if Sear says it is in fact ancient, I would take that as the final word

I would prefer 1900's Sears Roebuck jewelry over pulltabs any day of the week

Interesting find.

HH
Rusted