Found on a beach in Brooklyn in late October 2011... Have no idea what this coin might be. Appears to have a image of Jesus or a saint with a halo on one side. A shield with various iconography — including a cross — on the other side. Various writing appears in a circle surrounding the images on both sides, cannot make out what is written. Any help appreciated. Thanks,
I was wondering where I dropped that one! LOL But seriously, what's with the bright yellow colors. Is that an effect of the flash/photography/editing, or is that really how the coin appears? I have no idea what it is, but it does appear to be quite old though.
The style is imitating a goldgulden/ducat from middle to late medieval Germany. It's much too crude to be a numismatic forgery, religious medal is possible, but I would guess jewelry imitation.
looks like a religious medal to me as well. very old looking 300? years about. maybe from rome, lots of medals like this come from there. i wonder how did it get on your beach in brooklyn, is there a shipreck somewhere?
Could be jewelry as well, you are right. Btw, the obverse especially is not German, but Venetian. If any German coins looked like this it would have been because they were copying the Venetian design. Coins of Venice were numerous, of good quality, and were treated as the best coinage for hundreds of years throughout Europe. I know the Byzantines, Bulgars, and other SE Europeans countries imitated them. I will admit I have never really studied German medieval coinage. Chris
Here's the coin it's imitating: http://www.mcsearch.info/record.html?id=179396 It's actually a better copy than I originally though.
