Super worn silver coin, need help IDing!

[diamondjim]

Just about tossed this as a slug...it's so worn I didn't see any details at all when it came out of the ground...but slowly this head emerged...sadly back is worn blank. It's smaller than an Ike, bigger than a kennedy.

Any thoughts on country of origin or age range? Site age is vast...has been in almost constant use since 1790, but this coin was obviously heavily abused before getting dropped.

 

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[PBK]

Looks like a British halfcrown of William IV, c. 1834-37.

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[Montana Jim]

Nice...

 

[Texas Gal]

Nice find..even if it is worn.. sounds like Jim Id'ed it for you on the spot! An oldie!

Marcia

 

[MattNumistic]

Looks like a British halfcrown of William IV, c. 1834-37.

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I also made the same guess, kind of helps if you're british tho? heh...

yeah it's the way he holds his head, the monarch before Victoria 1837-1901 Willy the 4th!

 

[wildrider]

Thats cool. Toss it this way if ya dont want it. :P

Burt

 

[Montana Jim]

Nice find..even if it is worn.. sounds like Jim Id'ed it for you on the spot! An oldie!

Marcia

Not me... PBK had the honors...

 

[junkdigger]

PBK,I see some differences between diamondjim's find and the British coin you posted. I found a Prussian Thaler that looks to be the same coin.In my Standard Catalog of World Coins,Prussia,German States,this Thaler dates from 1853-1856. On the obverse it says,"FRIEDR.WILHELM IV KOENIG V. PREUSSEN.
I admire your expertise and look forward to your posts PBK! Hope I don't come on as a smartaleck....I'm not!

 

[Montana Jim]

PBK,I see some differences between diamondjim's find and the British coin you posted. I found a Prussian Thaler that looks to be the same coin.In my Standard Catalog of World Coins,Prussia,German States,this Thaler dates from 1853-1856. On the obverse it says,"FRIEDR.WILHELM IV KOENIG V. PREUSSEN.
I admire your expertise and look forward to your posts PBK! Hope I don't come on as a smartaleck....I'm not!

Nothing about "getting to the truth" is smartalecky... and by the way, I think your right, the neckline is different.

I know PBK seeks truth in IDs before a pat on the back...

 

[diamondjim]

Any chance you can post a pic of the Thaler? One of the key details I wasn't able to place on coins in an ebay search was the scruffy part at the back of the neck.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Here's a photo of the coin in question. Shape of the neck and the fact that the ruler is balding seem to support this one as a correct ID. I think Junkdigger may have it right!

Regards,

Buckleboy

 

[diamondjim]

Thanks for all hard work from everyone!

Perhaps this will help: I noticed some marks on the edge of the coin that looked like more than just scratches...it was heavily impacted with dirt but when I cleaned it up I found a very German looking cross. I'm begining to suspect this coin was in a bezel, worn as a necklace for many, many years and that's what's caused it's amazingly worn condition.

So, any chance the German Thaler has similar marks on the edge?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I never thought I would live to see the day that PBK could make a mistaken ID. Now my life is complete!

Junkdigger got to it before I could say that the nose and chin were different.

 

[diamondjim]

Now now, be nice to PBK, we need him!

I found the edge design + cross on an ebay auction, this for 1844 Prussian 2 thaler coin...check out the somewhat enhanced pic...looks ALOT like my coin.

I think I'm going to call this one "1860 Prussian Thaler" and file it away in the collection. Weight of the coin makes mine a 1 Thaler, not a 2 like the one pictured...but mine does weigh 3/4 ounce of 900 fine silver...just not a bad day

 

[PBK]

Nice work, Junkdigger!

Hey, glad to have brought a little sunshine into your life, BigCypress— however, I think "looks like" falls a furlong or two short of a full ID. (You don't see any resemblance whatsoever? Hmmm.)

Next time maybe I'll be a little less trigger happy— at least until I see both sides of the coin... and, as DiamondJim shrewdly reminds me, check the edge, too!

Again, great job, guys!

 

[diamondjim]

Hey don't feel bad...I thought it was the wornest IKE of all time when I first dug it. Heads don't even face the same direction, I found out later.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Looks like a British halfcrown of William IV, c. 1834-37.

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My mistake. You did say it "looks like" and yes it does look like. You are right as usual.


You know I am just joking around, PBK. You will make a mistake one day and I am watching you.

 

[PBK]

You know I am just joking around, PBK. You will make a mistake one day and I am watching you.

Hey, you're 'way too late, BC... I've made thousands (probably millions) already!

The sad part is, I'll undoubtedly make at least that many more— but hopefully at least they'll be different ones! :P :P :P

 

[junkdigger]

Ah,shucks,fellow TH'ers. My coin book has 1177 pages,but I only checked the British,French,and German coin pages.And I looked at only the large silver.It soon seemed like a German coin,but Germany had 1,800 states in those days before unification in 1871.I got lucky and found it in less than a half hour.
There have been some coins posted here that caused me to look through most of the book,and i still didn't find some of them.Maybe it was 'cause of the headache I got, or the coins predated my 1800's book!
It's quite an education,though,and an enjoyable one!
Now,if only I could find some of those very interesting foreign coins! All I've found are some chinese cashes,and Canadian silver.

 

[Jack(IN)]

Nice chunk of silver...

even worn still a great find!!