This coin was found by myself while metal detecting in Lincolnshire UK. It has Minerva on the other side? But besides that I'm lost. Any ideas?
Wow! That's a great find. I can't help you with IDing that coin but I'm sure others here can. You are lucky to be able to metal detect in an area that has so much history. My city was created in 1872 so the coins I can find around here don't date back much further than that. Are you required to report a find of a single gold coin as a treasure trove?
German you say? I should have noticed that. (pfennig) I actually have two of these, exactly the same. Found in the same place. I have found (But ID'd) other gold coins from the fields surrouding my house.
Yeah One of my favorite finds was an old 'Grantham Penny'. (1667) Back in the day in the UK, each town had their own currency. To find a coin with my towns name on it was very exciting. Still, this gold coin? It's doing my head in not knowing what it is!
Sorry to inform you, but that is a German "Reckoning penny", basically a counter. Your one appears to be made of gilt brass or copper and probably dates from the early 18th century.
But to be in such good condition after so many years in the ground? Are you sure it's not gold, even a lower concentration of gold (I do realise you cannot possibly know It's always nice to find a gold coin. I have a few reckoning pennys as it is, and none look like this. Any idea why there are so many reckoning pennies around in british fields?
I forgot to mention that the two identical coins were found embedded in a knifes handle. I dont disagree that they are German, but I think maybe more than a basic reckoning penny. Unless you have more info which I have been unable to find trawling through google.
It is a Nuremberg rechenpfennig (reckoning penny / counting token). Made by one Johann Jakob Lauer (I.L.) (1806-1865) who was a member of a family of counter makers that include Ernest Ludwig Sigmund Lauer (1783-1833) and Ludwig Christian Lauer (1842-1873). They seem to have produced quite a few counters including a series of counters with Roman and Greek themes and this seems to be one of them. Although I could not find this example, I found several other examples: one with venus to sell at roughly 35.00 USD one with alexander the great The style on these examples are just like the style of the one posted above so I think its safe to say it was produced by the same person. I think his tokens are listed in Michael Mitchiner's work on Jetons, Medalets & Tokens Vol 1 The Medieval Pd. & Nuremberg. A book I do not have. If there is someone who has this, they can look it up and find any other info there might be regarding this maker and his counters. Yours seems to be in UNBELIEVABLY great shape. I doubt a brass one would last in the ground for any amount of time and come out it such good shape. Diminsions of the counter and weight might help to determine what its made of, if I am not mistaken it should be brass or copper, maybe gilt, doubt it would be gold. Something interesting I found about this family of counter makers (who also made toy coins): 'As the use of these tokens diminished so did the makers. In 1783 there were still 12 masters making computing Pfennigs. In 1830 there were 7. In 1843 it was only one. By lack of sales Ludwig Christian Lauer, the last yielding was forced to stop production and died in 1873.' so it seems that his son? was the last if not one of the last producers of these counters.
I'm thankfully convinced. I can now (finally) stick a label into the coin folder. Coin case closed. Cheers to all who helped.
