I'm trying to identify a mystery worn copper. Weighs 10.0 g in the holder with 4 staples, so I'm estimating it at 6.5 grams. Size is a barely larger in diameter than a US small cent, but much thicker. I think I can read "Georgius III" on the obverse, but that's about it. The reverse is heavily worn, but it looks like there's some text in a line near the bottom. Stamped with some sort of mark on the back. It's thicker than I would expect a halfpence or farthing to be. I'm wondering if it's some sort of token. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I got thrown in it for free with a small lot of coins from a local dealer who was unable to identify it.
I think you hit the nail on the head. It appears by all accounts to be a token or perhaps a crudely made counterfeit, both of which ran rampant during the time. Interestingly, the obverse bust seems like a very crude adaptation of the Irish bust that appeared on halfpence issued under his reign. Although counterfeiting was illegal at the time, there were a few loopholes that allowed it to occur. I suppose it could also be one of the seemingly countless gaming tokens that were made. There is a reference book on the subject, but I do not believe I have in my library. Perhaps one of the other members can shed more light on that topic. Here is a link to a numista listing for a similar bust on a gaming token.
Is that a counterstamp on the reverse? I'm not aware of those being used to monetize spiele tokens, but it may have happened in times of crisis. The crown in that stamp would seemingly indicate a Royalist use.
Good question. I'm not sure what that mark is. It doesn't look like mere damage, but I can't make out much of anything except the vague crown shape you mention. I would be curious if it served some actual purpose.
Something has been bothering me about this piece since I first responded. I’ve scanned through thousands of copper and bronze pieces from this era throughout my collecting efforts, and the crude design paired with the “counterstamp” seem so familiar to me, but I can’t place it. In my cursory glance, I didn’t notice the remnants of “NEA” on the back. I wonder if this could be a counterweight for a Guinea. This theory, of course, would be highly contingent upon the weight and diameter of your piece. If it were a Guinea weight, I believe it would need to weigh 8.4 grams and have a diameter of about 24 mm (larger than a U.S. small cent at 19.05 mm). The diameter would be much less important than the weight as these would have been used on a balance scale. The crown “counterstamp” would also make sense as these were often given official (looking?) marks so that they could be used in commerce. Look this item number up on eBay for a 1/2 Guinea example and let me know what you think (303367703812). This is but removed from my general area, so feel free to dismiss my opinion completely.
