I saw what I believe was a thaler, and depicted on the coin was a cloud with a hand coming out, holding a watering can. That's all I can remember about it
Hey Zane, do you have any idea of the approximate date, or country of issuance "Thaler" covers a lot of pages in several volumes of Krause!
I believe it was from the 16th or 17th century. I know Thalers encompass a lot! I was hoping maybe someone just happened to know off of the top of their head what coin it was.
Zane, Someone on the forum posted a pic of a thaler with a big cloud on it a while ago.I don't remember a hand or watering can on it but if I recall,it had rays coming down and the obverse had a man and woman.Anyone remember this?
That IS a great design and I remember that thread but it's not the one I had in mind.Unfortunately,this one IS what I was thinking of and it's obviously not THE one.No clouds. http://www.cointalk.org/showthread.php?t=16657&highlight=naples
I can't think of any taler i've seen that matches the description, however i do know that htere is one (perhaps two) french jetons with that theme. The one that immediately sprang to mind was issued by the `tresor royal' in 1706 (part of the king's administration). here's a pic of it, but it's not too brilliant i'm afraid. I have the actual jeton somewhere in my collection, but it's late at night here so i'll just have to check some other time.
Wow..the jeton meister Ian hits it on the head again. So I followed the leader to try and find a clearer photo and stumbled on this: Maybe they were issued by"le department" of cuteness,watering cans,clouds ,sunshine and flowers.
Actually, you got pretty close to another one very similar. The Chambre aux Deniers (another department of the king's administration) DID issue a jeton with a celestial watering can on it very similar to the one already mentioned! Theirs was was dated 1687 with the legend `Cunctis Dat Vivere', as opposed to the `Alit Viresque Ministrat' of the Tresor Royal. There was also an undated `stock' jeton struck in latten during the same time frame, so celestial watering cans appear to have been pretty popular with the king's administration from about 1680 - 1710. I don't have either of them, but one watering can is enough for me anyway. I dug out my example of the `celestial watering can' as weilded by Groth the Green Skinned of Mars. Maybe I shouldn't have bothered. Maybe Santa will bring me a better quality scanner in a week from now. I live in hope.