Underweight Old German Thaler (Saxe-Alt-Weimar) - Page 2

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

Author	Replies: 21 / Views: 3,312	Page: of 2

sel_69l Bedrock of the Community Australia 21788 Posts	Posted 03/28/2019 5:30 pm Low weight is a killer. Appearance (surface texture) confirms. If nothing else, the posting of your pics here in the CCF have saved you. Report this Post to the Staff
paralyse Bedrock of the Community United States 12057 Posts	Posted 03/28/2019 10:20 pm It's important to remember that thalers were struck to a very exacting standard, much more so than you might expect for coins minted 200-400 years ago. Unless the coin is severely worn or heavily damaged, the weight should almost always be close to standard. Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis Report this Post to the Staff
sg93 Valued Member 294 Posts	Posted 03/28/2019 11:11 pm exactly! the exact same pattern of toning, right down to the particular colors, is just too obvious. It's actually just a tad above 26g but it's still grossly underweight anyway. In what way is it not like a modern cast though? What's an SG test, silver grating? I haven't got any specialized instruments unfortunately so the best I can do is a density test with water and even then I have yet to get the right container for that. I still remember testing my previous thaler this way but I can't remember my deductions now. I got it on ebay from a long-time dealer from Germany. Paid upwards of $170. Will take further images when I've got my camera charged up. Just couldn't get the macro to work previously. Report this Post to the Staff
sg93 Valued Member 294 Posts	Posted 03/28/2019 11:32 pm ok, that does it for me then. I can confidently hold these two thalers for not genuine. I had already had my suspicions about the first one i'd got but had decided to trust the seller given his 8000+ reviews back then. I'll probably stay away from such coins for a long time... thanks everybody for your advice, much appreciated. Report this Post to the Staff
cableguy815 Valued Member United States 414 Posts	Posted 03/29/2019 5:43 pm I'd agree with Paralyze's comment on weight accuracy of German thalers. German thaler coinage offers much less weight variation than crowns from other nations (based on my observation). There are exceptions however, but they are very few and far in between. As to your question about why this doesn't look like a modern cast. My answer is that it absolutely does look like a cheap Chinese knockoff based on the detail (at least the obverse). Can't tell on the reverse because the image is too small. However, the iridescent toning on the obverse is what's throwing me off. I've seen plenty modern casts and their fake toning and for the most part, they all look and "feel" the same. What I don't really recall is seeing this kind of iridescence on modern casts. I may be wrong, but I don't think this is something easily achievable. Report this Post to the Staff
sg93 Valued Member 294 Posts	Posted 03/30/2019 11:16 pm ok, i'd typed a long response but I get this message that I'm sending something prohibited, no idea if it's my naming that popular China website that sells counterfeits. But the gist of my message is that I've seen counterfeits with this exact toning, sadly only after my purchase, but the finer details differ somewhat. The legends are flatter and wider on the originals, which mine exhibits. The seller has also replied, saying that it is due to a smaller than usual flan and corrosion on the obverse that the weight is lacking. Then this begs the questions: what is the average size and the usual size range of Thalers from this principality? IIRC for the whole of 16th and 17th century Germany and Austria it ranges from 40 to 45mm, and mine measure exactly 40mm, except one is lighter than the other. Also, how much in weight could corrosion of superficial nature possibly remove? It hardly looks as severe as the seller implies. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 21 / Views: 3,312	Page: of 2

First Page Last 15 Replies

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

All Forums Category: World Coins and Currency Forums Forum: World Coins and Commemoratives

The First Dollar, your premier source for bullion and rare coins. See our bullion list on the site and the coin inventory on ebay.

Silver Gold Bull US is the United States leading bullion dealer. We deliver gold coins, gold bars, silver coins, silver bars and precious metals to your door. Order today!

View Last 100 New Topics

View Last 100 Active Topics

Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us | Advertise Here | Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum

It took 0.22 seconds to rattle this change.