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Here is the rest of my $18 purchase from a local pawn shop.

Also my first cuban coins, ever.

 

Was browsing ebay the other day when I saw a lot of French francs. It was mostly 50s roosters, but there were a few 1960 1 Francs. Noticed one was the uncommon Large 0 variety, so I got the lot for $2 and change. It came today, turned out that I was able to upgrade both 1960 varieties plus a few of the roosters. Here's the 60s, both are solid AU pieces:

 

This was minted in Graz.

 

This was minted in Freiberg.

 

This was minted in Leipzig.

 

This Horngroschen was minted in Freiberg.

 

This Stuiver was minted in Deventer.

 

This Kreuzer was minted in Wiener Neustadt.
The reference number should read IV-21

 

Just picked this up along with another coin that I will post in the next couple of weeks. It's was one of those "well I haven't seen one of those before" moments. I can't find anything on composition. It appears to be that the center is a different metal.

Photo and description are from the seller.



Obverse: Pitcher Silbernes Ratszeichen (Silver Council Sign)
Reverse: Griffin and lion are holding the helmeted Kölner Stadtschild / Kelch.

Diameter: 21mm

These so-called Saufgroscherln were issued to the participants of the Council meetings and could be exchanged for a pitcher of wine in the Ratskeller.

 

The only time I have seen anything similar is with the tin farthings and halfpennies issued in England from 1684 to 1692. These had a copper plug in the centre, which made them more resistant to corrosion.
If yours is tin it is in remarkably good condition!

 

Cool piece! But just "Saufgroschen" please - that "rln" stuff would be Southern German, hehe.

This exhibition in 1993 showed and explained such pieces. (Text in German; these brochures were originally "paper only" and scanned later, hence the fairly low quality especially of the images.) Seems that the oldest Cologne wine token is from 1497. Back then the city council members were delegates of the twenty-something guilds. After each Council meeting every present member would get such a (usually copper or even lead) token, to be used in the Ratskeller as you mentioned.

There were two reasons for doing that (and not simply giving out money): First, you could make the fact obvious that these coins were not a "payment" for the job. Second, the city could check the consumption and the payments more easily. In the second half of the 18th century, such pieces circulated like regular money ...

Christian

 

Couple of new 1936 Polska's

 

This Stuiver was minted in Groningen.

 

This Spitzgroschen was minted in Zwickau. The mints in Saxony produced
both Spitzgroschen and Half Spitzgroschen. In Robert Levinson's The Early
Dated Coins of Europe 1234-1500 , he explains that while the Half Spitzgroschens
were of larger diameter ( slightly larger than a U.S. 25 cent piece) the silver
content was half of the Spitzgroschen, which was slightly larger in diameter
of a U.S. 5 cent piece.

 

This Gros was minted in Dordrecht.

 

For my corona date set:

Austria Corona 1901
NGC MS65

 

From the 2016 Worlds Fair of Money in Berlin.

 

Portuguese 500 Reis Coin.