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

ugotit22

Bronze Member
Dec 26, 2007
1,771
563
The Dirty Shire
Detector(s) used
Whites DFX, and Whites IDX Pro
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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Upvote 2
Anyway, to keep the peace - thank you both SS & Crusader for your valuable information and insight, though I have from time-to-time detected in England (my wife is British - from the Bath/Bristol area and we even had our Wedding Breakfast & Reception in Castle Coombe), although never found the amazing stuff you guys find, I've never really thought about ancient coin production techniques as all of ours are the same, except for a Spanish Cob I found a few years ago, and my recent 1 & 2 Reales (not sure how they are made). Thanks very much for the link and I'm always open to any books on the topic you might be able to recommend. I did manage to find a James II - 1 Crown (gunmoney) over your way, which I was over the moon with, but not sure how it was produced. It'll be interesting to try and get to the bottom of how these "coins" were made and by whom.

Very interesting stuff!

Best, Erik
 

Erik in NJ said:
Anyway, to keep the peace - thank you both SS & Crusader for your valuable information and insight, though I have from time-to-time detected in England (my wife is British - from the Bath/Bristol area), although never found the amazing stuff you guys find, I've never really thought about ancient coin production techniques as all of ours are the same, except for a Spanish Cob I found a few years ago, and my recent 1 & 2 Reales (not sure how they are made). Thanks very much for the link and I'm always open to any books on the topic you might be able to recommend. I did manage to find a James II - 1 Crown (gunmoney), but not sure how it was produced. It'll be interesting to try and get to the bottom of how these "coins" were made and by whom.

Very interesting stuff.

Best, Erik
Have you still got the Gun Money Crown...I would like to see a picture of it :icon_thumleft: The name "Gun money" stems from the idea that they were minted from melted down guns. However, many other brass objects, especially church bells were also used as well as old cannons


SS
 

Erik in NJ said:
Anyway, to keep the peace - thank you both SS & Crusader for your valuable information and insight, though I have from time-to-time detected in England (my wife is British - from the Bath/Bristol area and we even had our Wedding Breakfast & Reception in Castle Coombe), although never found the amazing stuff you guys find, I've never really thought about ancient coin production techniques as all of ours are the same, except for a Spanish Cob I found a few years ago, and my recent 1 & 2 Reales (not sure how they are made). Thanks very much for the link and I'm always open to any books on the topic you might be able to recommend. I did manage to find a James II - 1 Crown (gunmoney) over your way, which I was over the moon with, but not sure how it was produced. It'll be interesting to try and get to the bottom of how these "coins" were made and by whom.

Very interesting stuff!

Best, Erik

there are lots of books I could suggest, some though are hugely expensive, depends which period you are interested in?

The brass coins commonly referred to as Gunmoney (not made exclusively from cannon, but became known as), where produced in Dublin & Limerick (Ireland)
 

Silver Searcher said:
Erik in NJ said:
Anyway, to keep the peace - thank you both SS & Crusader for your valuable information and insight, though I have from time-to-time detected in England (my wife is British - from the Bath/Bristol area), although never found the amazing stuff you guys find, I've never really thought about ancient coin production techniques as all of ours are the same, except for a Spanish Cob I found a few years ago, and my recent 1 & 2 Reales (not sure how they are made). Thanks very much for the link and I'm always open to any books on the topic you might be able to recommend. I did manage to find a James II - 1 Crown (gunmoney), but not sure how it was produced. It'll be interesting to try and get to the bottom of how these "coins" were made and by whom.

Very interesting stuff.

Best, Erik
Have you still got the Gun Money Crown...I would like to see a picture of it :icon_thumleft: The name "Gun money" stems from the idea that they were minted from melted down guns. However, many other brass objects, especially church bells were also used as well as old cannons


SS

must have crossed posts, very true, not just cannons :wink:
 

Yes, I do - I always keep my finds! Problem is we moved and some things misplaced. Will try to make a concentrated effort to find my English digs as I still need an ID on a few items I happened to dig near my in-laws house! Will email you a hi-res scan on James II Crown when I find it - drop me a PM with your email address. -Erik

Silver Searcher said:
Have you still got the Gun Money Crown...I would like to see a picture of it :icon_thumleft: The name "Gun money" stems from the idea that they were minted from melted down guns. However, many other brass objects, especially church bells were also used as well as old cannons


SS
 

CRUSADER said:
Silver Searcher said:
Erik in NJ said:
Anyway, to keep the peace - thank you both SS & Crusader for your valuable information and insight, though I have from time-to-time detected in England (my wife is British - from the Bath/Bristol area), although never found the amazing stuff you guys find, I've never really thought about ancient coin production techniques as all of ours are the same, except for a Spanish Cob I found a few years ago, and my recent 1 & 2 Reales (not sure how they are made). Thanks very much for the link and I'm always open to any books on the topic you might be able to recommend. I did manage to find a James II - 1 Crown (gunmoney), but not sure how it was produced. It'll be interesting to try and get to the bottom of how these "coins" were made and by whom.

Very interesting stuff.

Best, Erik
Have you still got the Gun Money Crown...I would like to see a picture of it :icon_thumleft: The name "Gun money" stems from the idea that they were minted from melted down guns. However, many other brass objects, especially church bells were also used as well as old cannons


SS

must have crossed posts, very true, not just cannons :wink:
I rest my case ::)
 

My English detector friend that I unfortunately seem to have lost touch with was very happy for me that I found something Jacobean - I was very happy just digging Geo I/II/III pennies and half-pennies - of course he was looking for Roman ... amazing experience, did not want to dig for quite a while after I got home :) I understand James II was chased out of Britain and into Ireland where he minted said coins to pay troops to reclaim throne which he never did :) Curious how the coin ended up in SW England ??
 

Silver Searcher said:
CRUSADER said:
Silver Searcher said:
Erik in NJ said:
Anyway, to keep the peace - thank you both SS & Crusader for your valuable information and insight, though I have from time-to-time detected in England (my wife is British - from the Bath/Bristol area), although never found the amazing stuff you guys find, I've never really thought about ancient coin production techniques as all of ours are the same, except for a Spanish Cob I found a few years ago, and my recent 1 & 2 Reales (not sure how they are made). Thanks very much for the link and I'm always open to any books on the topic you might be able to recommend. I did manage to find a James II - 1 Crown (gunmoney), but not sure how it was produced. It'll be interesting to try and get to the bottom of how these "coins" were made and by whom.

Very interesting stuff.

Best, Erik
Have you still got the Gun Money Crown...I would like to see a picture of it :icon_thumleft: The name "Gun money" stems from the idea that they were minted from melted down guns. However, many other brass objects, especially church bells were also used as well as old cannons


SS

must have crossed posts, very true, not just cannons :wink:
I rest my case ::)

you just get more :laughing9: :laughing9: from me who forgot his case :D Must have left it on the train.
 

Just about to get off the train to go home and lift a couple pints -- I'll be sure to remember my case! :)
 

CRUSADER said:
Silver Searcher said:
Erik in NJ said:
Anyway, to keep the peace - thank you both SS & Crusader for your valuable information and insight, though I have from time-to-time detected in England (my wife is British - from the Bath/Bristol area), although never found the amazing stuff you guys find, I've never really thought about ancient coin production techniques as all of ours are the same, except for a Spanish Cob I found a few years ago, and my recent 1 & 2 Reales (not sure how they are made). Thanks very much for the link and I'm always open to any books on the topic you might be able to recommend. I did manage to find a James II - 1 Crown (gunmoney), but not sure how it was produced. It'll be interesting to try and get to the bottom of how these "coins" were made and by whom.

Very interesting stuff.

Best, Erik
Have you still got the Gun Money Crown...I would like to see a picture of it :icon_thumleft: The name "Gun money" stems from the idea that they were minted from melted down guns. However, many other brass objects, especially church bells were also used as well as old cannons


SS

must have crossed posts, very true, not just cannons :wink:



If you two crossed cannons, I must have missed that at the rally :laughing9:
 

Erik in NJ said:
My English detector friend that I unfortunately seem to have lost touch with was very happy for me that I found something Jacobean - I was very happy just digging Geo I/II/III pennies and half-pennies - of course he was looking for Roman ... amazing experience, did not want to dig for quite a while after I got home :) I understand James II was chased out of Britain and into Ireland where he minted said coins to pay troops to reclaim throne which he never did :) Curious how the coin ended up in SW England ??

They end up all over the UK, I have found a few. Troops must have brought them back & they circulated for a fraction of their supposed value, until they were banned (& then possibly chucked).
 

I didn't know they were banned...but i figured they never realized their value as I understand they were given to the troops as payment and would only be worth face value if their side won -- as we all know James II was defeated and never regained the throne (was it Cromwell who defeated him?) They may have been defaced before they were chucked as mine has a odd broken edge. Another guy in England from the same general area where I found mine also unearthed one a few years back and posted it on another forum -- it too had a similar broken edge. Mine did not come from a plowed field. Are all of yours intact?
 

Erik in NJ said:
I didn't know they were banned...but i figured they never realized their value as I understand they were given to the troops as payment and would only be worth face value if their side won -- as we all know James II was defeated and never regained the throne (was it Cromwell who defeated him?) They may have been defaced before they were chucked as mine has a odd broken edge. Another guy in England from the same general area where I found mine also unearthed one a few years back and posted it on another forum -- it too had a similar broken edge. Mine did not come from a plowed field. Are all of yours intact?

Yes intact but very worn/field damaged (chemicals).

Its been awhile since I read up on these, but your right, they were meant to be exchanged for silver on their return & victory. They had a month (ie Dec) on them & were meant to be exchanged in that month, so as to spread the pain of payment (cash flow measues). William III seized the Dublin mint after the battle of the Boyne, the coins were reduced to their proper value (ie. weight of base metal about a penny I think) & in 1691 they were demonetized. Although I think they still circulated at whatever people were willing to accept it at, until ? (not sure when they were completely unacceptable)
 

Ahhh...funny as I read your post I recalled that there was a month abbreviation on mine :) I never knew what it was, and assumed it was something in Latin. Mine had quite a bit of detail as I recall, except for that darned broken edge. Now I'll have to locate it ASAP to take another look at it. Thanks for the valuable insight into this "coin."

Now if we could only get some good scans of those Farley "coins." :)
 

I have read all the responses and I still have no idea what this is. For over a year ive had this thing siting on my dresser and dont knwo what to make of it.
I understand what everyone thinks it is, but I just wish I could get simple answers
IE
Date of its production,
why it was produced,
Who produced it,
What was it for?
Any answers to these thoughts.
-Keith

since there is so much interest im going to post many different angle photos of it tomorrow
 

Its Helen of Troy IMO, confirmed by the horse on the back. Real or fake who knows, go to google scholar and look for a Troy expert.

Could have been brought back from a grand tour, such were common in the 1700s +, also people have been forging old coins for as long as old coins have existed. There was a mad rush of this post industrial revolution. An old fake has value, a modern fake doesnt.
 

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