Posted 02/26/2006 10:09 am
Not sure the purported date is 1567 - those marks below the shield are just decorative swirly bits, not numbers. Nevertheless, the style fits the period. The date on coins of this period is often either where the hole is or on the other side of the coin.
You're right about the coat of arms being "wrong" for Danzig - it may be one of the other city-states in the area. Elbing, for example, had a similar coat of arms, without the crown. (but I can't make the legend say "ELBINGENSIS").
Unfortunately, this falls right in the gap between when my Grierson book ends (1450) and the Krause catalogues begin (1601). Coins of this period were frequently made of billon, a low-grade silver alloy of varying density - if it's thin, it can feel light and aluminium-like. However, I doubt that a genuine coin would only have a field of dots - coin art at the time was more advanced than that. There should be a king's head, or monogram, or something. I suspect this is a recently-made souvenir, perhaps made with an original coin die someone found. It may even have been sold as a keyring. Unfortunately, without complete coverage in my catalogues, I can't be absolutely certain.
If it actually is made of aluminium, then it can't be "old" - alumimium wasn't used for coins, medals etc until the late 1800's.
You're right about the coat of arms being "wrong" for Danzig - it may be one of the other city-states in the area. Elbing, for example, had a similar coat of arms, without the crown. (but I can't make the legend say "ELBINGENSIS").
Unfortunately, this falls right in the gap between when my Grierson book ends (1450) and the Krause catalogues begin (1601). Coins of this period were frequently made of billon, a low-grade silver alloy of varying density - if it's thin, it can feel light and aluminium-like. However, I doubt that a genuine coin would only have a field of dots - coin art at the time was more advanced than that. There should be a king's head, or monogram, or something. I suspect this is a recently-made souvenir, perhaps made with an original coin die someone found. It may even have been sold as a keyring. Unfortunately, without complete coverage in my catalogues, I can't be absolutely certain.
If it actually is made of aluminium, then it can't be "old" - alumimium wasn't used for coins, medals etc until the late 1800's.
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
