I was visiting friends in Brussels last month and went into a local coin shop and purchased a few Austrian Netherlands and Spanish Netherlands coins/medals/commemoratives. One of them with a Chronogram date that uses Roman numerals embedded in the wording that adds up to 1716. When I got home I asked around a few coin dealers and none of them knew about chronogram dated coins. So now I have the brilliant idea of creating an exhibit about chronograms for the ANA show in Chicago 2021. Anyone in the group want to help me assemble a few examples? I'm trying to spend under $100 per example and want to buy examples from different time periods (17th to 19th century) and geographic locations (mostly around modern day France-Belgium-Germany).
Interesting way to collect! Some collect a certain country, a certain design, certain animals, but a chronogram would be a interesting way to collect!
Admittedly, I know nothing about this subject... I'd love to read more if you have online literature for it.
"17 16" is on the reverse (OP's 3rd pic). https://www.numismaticnews.net/article/of-coins-and-chronograms
VVMVCILLD appear as enlarged letters on the reverse M=1000, D=500, C=100, L=50, X=10, V=5, I=1 MDCLLVVVI=1000+500+100+2*50+3*5+1=1716
@John KENT Are you certain this is a chronogram? https://www.numismaticnews.net/article/of-coins-and-chronograms
Huh. Well, that's cool. Never heard of this before. Hey, @messydesk , you got any of these in your prime set?
Not sure who you are referring to, but I don't have you on ignore. I appreciate your link and explanation of this piece.
Had to click show ignored messages. I keep corgi ignored because he spends his days trolling people and I don't have time for it.
Agree - a chronogram theme would be fascinating for a collection. I think this is my only piece with a chronogram. It is taler from Osnabruck. The chronogram is found on the reverse. If I sum LVXVVVICVMIDIIIIVII, I get 1698: 50 + 5 + 10 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 1 + 100 + 5 + 1000 + 1 + 500 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 1.
I did a quick search on "chronogramm" on ma-shops.com and was intrigued to see the high number of 1717 dated chronograms associated with the anniversary of the reformation. This one struck me as particularly beautiful. Not my piece or image - just sharing auction by Münzhandlung Hans Linnartz: https://www.ma-shops.com/linnartz/item.php?id=201875