Featured My Wildman Addiction

"Long as you are enjoying it, then it is all good". That sums up numismatics perfectly.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

If this one has already been posted, my apologies.

BRUNSWICK-WOLFENBUTTEL Heinrich Julius Taler 1694

Wild man standing with hand on hip like a model

 

Whether it has or not, I don't know but I like it. I also have trouble remembering what I have posted on some threads.

 

I think it was Lord Marcovan who taught me how to search a thread and see if you have previously posted a certain coin. That is why, when I post a coin, I like to put its full description, like "1984 Zamboanga 20 kazoonies", then I can easily search for it. For the world tour thread, I keep a list of what coins I have posted. It is 42 pages long now.

 

A slightly dwarfish wild man and his taller wife

Germany City of ERFURT Taler 1548

 

Another one that I've never seen before. I like it.

 

That is the first Erfurt taler, simply awesome!
Finally managed to get a Wildman piece yesterday, a light taler. I will keep this one!

 

Nice one. It's really well-struck for the type.

 

Ever since I started collecting world coins in the early 80's, the wildman type has always been a draw for me, in terms of themes, designs and historical significance.

I used to have several of the thalers, but, over the years many were sold, so now I only have a few.

Here's one I kept, purchased in 1992. It is from Brunswick-Wofenbuttle, Goslar, dated 1589, the "Brillentaler" with the wildman holding a lantern.

The design is most intriguing, with the skull on top of the hour glass, a candle and one of the hairiest wildmen I have ever seen.

This example weighs 29 grams and is 40 mm in diameter.

Welter 581, Davenport 9067

 

Wonder if that skull had anything to do with a plague around that time?

 

Great coin. It's better than the one I have.

 

Thank you.

There's a story behind this coin.

In 1992 I made one of my weekend visits to my favorite coin shop in San Jose, California. The owner, who had an amazing assort of coins, ranging from US to world to ancients, received three coins from a man from the Central Valley area. The coins were an Old Man dollar, a 1590 8 reales of Philip II and the Brillentaler.

I purchased the 8 reales and the thaler. The Old Man dollar was sent to ANACS for certification. A few weeks later the coin came back with a certificate. So, I purchased the Old Man dollar with the ANACS certificate.

Fast forward to 2018. I decided to send the Old Man dollar to NGC for certification. About a month later it came back as not genuine. I checked with Steve Album, who confirmed that it was a coin produced in New York City in the 1950s. I was able to exchange the coin with the dealer, who I had a long relationship with, so all was not lost.

I still have the Philip II 1590 8 reales, Segovia, and hope to post it in the near future.

 

I love Exact Change, a coin collection inventory program. Know the name of the company? Wildman Software www.wildman.info

 

Here's one more Wildman thaler, this one purchased back in 1980-81 from Hal Blackburn (anyone remember him, Blackburn & Blackburn?), Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

I remember seeing this coin in a case in his shop, one rainy winter's day. His shop was a combination coin store and anything-else-you'd-be-interested-in. He even had a slot machine in his back office (I don't know if it actually worked).

He was quite a character and a very knowledgeable individual, appearing at local coin shows and at major shows such as Long Beach and the ANA for many years, with cases crammed with gold and silver coins ranging from US, to foreign, to ancients. Despite the number of high-end coins that he normally displayed, he was a truly wheeler-dealer, and it was possible to negotiate pretty good purchases with him.

He eventually retired, and moved to Killen, Alabama, putting his son in charge of the business. As I recall he died in his sleep in the mid 90s.

This coin is from Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Fredrich Ulrich, Davenport 6303, dated 1617.

Obverse: Wildman holding tree, date in legend. Lettering: DEO*ET*PATRIAE*ANNO*1617.

Reverse: Helmeted 11-fold arms. Lettering: FRIDERIC*ULRIC*D*G*DUX*BRUNSVIC:ET*L*.

This coin weighs 28.8 grams and is 42 mm in diameter.

 

@robinjojo - Great Brunswick talers and the story to go along with them is just as good. I bet I would have loved to set foot in the Blackburn & Blackburn store you described. Sounds like a place with a personality.

 

*drool*

 

Wonderful! Nice to see another brillenthaler appear in the thread.

 

This past weekend I tried to participate in the Heritage Platinum and Signature world and ancient auctions. I say tried because everything I bid on went for around double what I was willing to spend. They had a Wildman type that I really liked and was the focus of my participation. It ended up selling for about $1000 more than any other sale for the type. Oh well, life goes on.

As condolence to myself, I decided to purchase this one that I have had my eye on for quite a while. I sent a message to the seller and we agreed on a reasonable price. I do not have it in hand yet. When it arrives I will take better pictures.

This piece appeals to me in multiple ways. First, there are 2 wildmen on the reverse. Second, it is a mining Thaler which I have been looking at more and more.


Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel. King Karl Series (1735- 1780).

1752. Mining Taler - White Swan mine.

D.G. CAROLVS - DVX. BRVNSVIC. - LVNEB. 1752, Arms with Crown ( oval shield on V-shaped base), supported by two Wild Man.

CANDIDVS HAEC PROFERT MONTANVS PRAEMIA CYGNVS, lake with a swan under clouds. Below in 5 lines - DIE GRVBE WEISSER SCHWAN KAM IN AVSBEVT IM Q: LVCIAE 1732 I.B.H.

Davenport 2157, KM 940.

 

It was a slow 2020 as far as making additions to the Wildman collection. This one came late in the year. It's about as common as you can get for Wildman thalers but it is struck better than most.



GERMANY, Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (Herzogtum). Heinrich Julius. As Bishop of Halberstadt, 1566-1613.

Diameter: 41mm
Weight: 27.92 g

Andreasberg mint

Obverse: Coat-of-arms surmounted by five elaborately crested helmets
Reverse: Wildman standing facing, holding tree

Welter 645A; KM 7; Davenport 6285.