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 Replies: 8 / Views: 3,382 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2605 Posts |
A few months ago I came across this coin (?) in an antiques store. It was the only coin there, no price on the flip. The salesperson did not know anything about it, we agreed on the price of $.50. The type looks exactly like Prussian 5 mark, 1898 - 1908, KM#523, with all the details, down to the mintmark "A". But 1) the size of about a Roosevelt dime (19 - 20 mm) instead of crown size; 2) metal is copper or its alloy instead of silver; 3) date is 1910. For you to see what I'm talking about I'm including a picture from Krause for because of the size and dark aged copper I cannot take a decent picture of the artifact itself. Can I call it a coin? A pattern? A model? Hope some of you could enlighten me.  |
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Moderator
 Australia
16826 Posts |
Normally, a miniature coin (much smaller than a genuine coin) is classed as "play money". Ones made in Germany usually have the German word for "play money" (spielgeld) somewhere on the design; foreign-made ones might not.
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
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2605 Posts |
The design looks impeccable. It seems to be too much trouble to prepare exact miniature copy of a die for just play money. (I'm pretty sure it's minted, not cast)
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Valued Member
Australia
432 Posts |
Sorry, without a Picture, it makes it hard to track down... But as for a Pattern, I can find nothing in the Schaaf Katalog that could be it (the smallest Fünf Mark proben were about 30-33mm in size), so I'm pretty happy to rule that out... Its just too small to be a pattern; there were no plans or suggestions that I know of, to reform the Reich coinage to that size in that period!
I got to go with Sap, I think its probably 'Spielgeld' - there is a fair bit of it out there actually, and yeah quite a bit of it was minted. If the metal you're striking is pretty soft (like copper and some brasses), you can get an amazing life out of a set of die's. As for how, it wouldnt be that hard to mount a 'real' Fünf Mark on a reduction lathe and make a die set!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2605 Posts |
Sorry to resurrect an ancient topic but the "coin", means of taking a decent picture of this tiny thing, and I intersected in time and space, so here we are. Now when I looked at it under magnification I no longer think it's copper. Rather iron, but I'm not really sure. Well, here is a pic, what do you say?  Edited by svslav
12/26/2010 01:37 am
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Valued Member
Croatia (Locally: Hrvatska)
342 Posts |
If you think it is iron use a magnet and you will be assured.But on the picture looks like rusty iron.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2605 Posts |
Yes, it is magnetic, and as for its size I took a photo with a dime  So, what's the verdict? Spielgeld it is? |
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Valued Member
Australia
432 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2605 Posts |
Vielen Dank!  |
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Replies: 8 / Views: 3,382 |
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Posted 10/28/2009 12:24 am
