Belgium (Liège): silver 2-escalin of Johann Theodor of Bavaria, 1753 (contemporary counterfeit?)

Belgium (Liège): silver 2-escalin of Johann Theodor of Bavaria, 1753 (contemporary counterfeit?)


KM-161, silver. Numista-33459. Silver, 28.2 mm, 7.44 g. Struck under the authority of Johann Theodor of Bavaria, Prince-Bishop of Liège.

Ex-Jean Elsen et ses Fils Auction #142, Lot #938 (part of), 14 September 2019.

I sold this coin on eBay in the summer of 2020, and the buyer returned it, saying it was a counterfeit, with the apparent implication that it was some kind of modern counterfeit.

I didn't question his assumptions and promptly refunded his money, though I very firmly disagree with the notion that this coin is any kind of modern fake. The coin looks consistent with pictures I've seen of others of this somewhat crudely-struck type, as best I can tell, but admittedly I do not know for certain.

It is entirely possible the would-be eBay buyer saw something I do not see. It does seem to be slightly underweight based on the specs given on Numista.

I acquired it as a part of Lot #938 in the Jean Elsen et ses Fils Auction #142, on 14 September 2019, so it came directly from Belgium as part of a large lot of older coins and tokens of Liège. If it is in fact counterfeit, I am much more likely to believe it could be a contemporary counterfeit from the 1700s. But I'm not sure I buy that theory, either. Really, I don't know. The coin looks fine to me. But I could be wrong.

 

I concur. This pretty much echoes my (admittedly uninformed) thought process on the matter. If it's a contemporary counterfeit from the 1700s, that's not all bad news, because as you say, then it is still collectible in its own right.

Personally, whether it's a crude variety of an official strike, or a contemporary counterfeit, it's over 200 years old in either case. I'm nearly certain it is not a modern fake of any kind. It's interesting, regardless.

Since it came from a large bulk lot (which I did very well on, thank you very much), even if one were to consider it as the lone "dud" from that lot, I have no cause for complaint. I think did just fine, for the money I paid for it, as a one fifty-ninth portion of that source lot. A relatively trifling sum when you average it out.