Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;lordmarcovan, post: 2971116, member: 10461&quot;]This mysterious uniface medal, struck in pewter or similar white metal, appears to be dated <b>1719</b> in a sort of &quot;secret code&quot;, by way of a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronogram#Roman_numerals" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronogram#Roman_numerals" rel="nofollow">chronogram</a>.&nbsp; Note the larger letters in the legend.</p><p><br /></p><p>You collectors of 16th and 17th century German thalers may have some familiarity with chronograms.</p><p><br /></p><p>Use the enlarged, taller letters as Roman numerals (adding them together as you go), and you get:</p><p><br /></p><blockquote><p>M=1000</p><p>I=1</p><p>V=5</p><p>L=50</p><p>D=500</p><p>I=1</p><p>C=100</p><p>V=5</p><p>V=5</p><p>I=1</p><p>L=50</p><p>I=1</p><p>--------------------------</p><p>=<b>1719 date </b>(if I did that correctly).</p><p><br /></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><font size="3">Images below are from my flatbed scanner era, so not the best.</font></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k173/lordmarcovan/ZvingliMedal.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k173/lordmarcovan/ZvingliMedal-obv.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>It also says &quot;ÆT 48 AN 1531&quot; (age 48 years in 1531) below the bust, in reference to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huldrych_Zwingli" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huldrych_Zwingli" rel="nofollow">Huldrych Zwingli</a>, who is portrayed here, and who died in that year.</p><p><br /></p><p>The style of this enigmatic piece does seem more consistent with an early 18th century item than one from the early 16th century.</p><p><br /></p><p>I never did figure out what this thing was.&nbsp; It seems to have been some kind of die trial.</p><p><br /></p><p>And then I lost it.&nbsp; Maybe it will turn up when we do our home renovations later this year.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in