Howdy fellow coin peeps, I've acquired a very worn old copper that looks like the date is 1668 but it could be 1658. On the obverse, there's a crowned bust and I can't make out the legend and on the reverse there's a form of a cross and the date is in the upper left-hand quadrant (reference picture) and the legend is partially dicernable. The planchet is very thick, similar to the lettered edge 1794 Liberty Capped Cents. I'd appreciate any help in ID'n this old copper! :thumb: Ribbit
I'm wondering what form the cross is? It isn't a Cross Potent but it's a form of one. If I knew what it's called, it would help me to identify it (possibly). Ribbit
It's French alright, it's the French cross with fleur de lis on each end. My guess is it's a douzain or sol paresis from around the time of Henry IV - just can't pin it down though :headbang:
I have a counterstamped 1640 douzain and it's very thin and this is as thick as a 1794 LCC but not quite as big. I'm including a pic of the OP coin next to a 1794 LCC for reference. :kewl: Ribbit
But the 1640 douzain was billon, so it should be thinner. This coin is copper, which would make it thicker and larger.
They changed from silver to copper around that time? Way kewl! :thumb: It will fit nicely into my French colonial collection, even though it isn't technically colonial. Ribbit Ps: I found a really nice 1746-W counterfeit Double Sol, like Breen talked about in his Encyclopedia. It has the Paris Mint (A) renard on it, which doesn't jive for a Lillie minted coin plus it's clearly silver plated brass so that further gives it away.
I'm lost? :goofer: I have a 1640 Douzain that's billion and a 1668 unknown copper coin, but they used to be copper and went to billion, so the math is wrong for this to be French then. :kewl: Unless I misread the date and it's actually 1558, but I didn't think the coppers coins during that period were this thick? Ribbit
As I said in my first reply, I think it is from around the time of Henry IV - 1589 to 1610. There are several designs very close to your coin, but I haven't found the one that matches - yet. The other thing I was saying is that the douzain, in the time of Henry IV was minted in copper. Later, with Louis XIII, it was minted in billon. That coin is definitely older than anything from Louis XIII.
The date clearly starts with a 1 and ends with a 8, so the two numbers in between may be off. It is highly probable they are 5's and not 6's, so that would make it 1558, so that's close to the timeframe you mentioned. :thumb: Ribbit
Took a year and a half, but finally found it. As I suspected, Spanish Italy. 3 CAGLIARESE of Sardinia, under Charles II of Spain. http://www.maravedis.net/europa_carlos_i_i_cagliari_3_cagliarese.html
