Help Identifying German States Turkey Coin From Colonial US

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Author	Replies: 2 / Views: 1,267
Unknowncolonialturkeycoin New Member United States 2 Posts	Posted 03/05/2012 4:51 pm Hello, I have obtained an unusual 1699 German States coin that was recently dug in a field adjacent to a Revolutionary War battlefield (Saratoga)NYstate. I've attached two close up photos of it in this email. It appears to have a Saxony type crest on the back, but on the front it has a kind of primitive wild turkey, unlike any other German coins I've seen with that subject on it. I would greatly appreciate any info, opinions, ect, that would help steer me in the right direction as to orgin, history and possible value. I know most people have heard the story of benjamin Franklin wanting the Turkey as the U.S.s official symbol, and how we picked the eagle instead. So is the Turkey front part of the original german States coin, or was the Turkey front re-struck with a new American symbol, or was the front created by an individual somehow(folk art),or a Revolutionary War soldiers "trench art"? I greatly appeciate any help. I've asked other online coin people and theyve never seen it before. Thankyou very much for your time! Don Siemens San Antonio Tx, Report this Post to the Staff

Sap Moderator Australia 16844 Posts	Posted 03/05/2012 8:03 pm The reverse legend tells us what it is: FURSTHEN.MEIN.HELLER translates to "Prince of Meinigen, heller". It's a 1 heller from the German state of Saxe-Meinigen. I had trouble finding other examples of this coin on the Internet; for what is apparently a fairly common coin, there aren't many pictures to be found. Here's one for sale on a German website for 26 euros. It's in even worse condition that yours. Sorry, but the bird on this coin isn't supposed to be a turkey; It's just a badly drawn rooster. The rooster appears much better rendered on some slightly later Saxe-Meinigen coins of Duke Bernhard I, who founded the Saxe-Meiningen dynasty and seems to have adopted the black rooster as his personal badge. Example from 1702. You can perhaps see it more clearly on the lesser coat of arms of the state. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis Report this Post to the Staff
Unknowncolonialturkeycoin New Member United States 2 Posts	Posted 03/05/2012 10:38 pm Thankyou Sap for the great info. Youve filled in all the missing background very well. I greatly appreciate any time and effort spent on this. Report this Post to the Staff
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