1800's Coin

Azmodeus

Diggin In Illinois
Forum Supporter
Joined
Aug 13, 2010
Messages
1,550
Location
Northern Illinois
May be a long shot, the details are pretty worn and the photos aren't great. Date looks to be 1879 or 1878. Slightly larger than a quarter. I'm guessing foreign. Hoping maybe someone will recognize whatever pattern that is around the back side.
 

Attachments

  • side1.jpg
    side1.jpg
    51.2 KB · Views: 518
  • side2.jpg
    side2.jpg
    55.1 KB · Views: 479
Not entirely sure, but I think I can discern a seated left-facing Britannia in that first image. "Slightly larger than a quarter," as you say, would probably make it a British half penny or maybe a lookalike Colonial or other privately-minted token, which circulated as commonly or even more so at times than the real thing.

Since the coin's edge has no discernable raised flange, and Victoria's half pennies' Britannia faced right, my hunch would be that it's older than the "1879 or 1878" you mention.
 
Not entirely sure, but I think I can discern a seated left-facing Britannia in that first image. "Slightly larger than a quarter," as you say, would probably make it a British half penny or maybe a lookalike Colonial or other privately-minted token, which circulated as commonly or even more so at times than the real thing.

Since the coin's edge has no discernable raised flange, and Victoria's half pennies' Britannia faced right, my hunch would be that it's older than the "1879 or 1878" you mention.

I thought the same thing. I seen what I thought was the seated left-facing Britania also but the dates don't line up. The first two numbers on the date are positively 18. And I think it's 1878 but the 3rd number is punched so I'm not positive on the 7. There are no left facing Brits in the 1800s that I seen except the early ones like 1808 but those are on the reverse, not the same side as the date. So I still cant figure it out, maybe it's just a religious medallion with a date and not a coin.
 
Google hard times tokens, which were used in 1830s/40s. About that size, and many features Britannia, liberty, or other real currency figures. The hole is throwing me off though.
 
Google hard times tokens, which were used in 1830s/40s. About that size, and many features Britannia, liberty, or other real currency figures. The hole is throwing me off though.

I looked through some of the hard times tokes to see what the tops of the 3's look like and they are flat tops so it definately could be a 3. Where the hole is you can just make out the top of the number that was holed out and see that by the top of the number it has to be either a 3 or a 7. So date would either be 1838 or 1878. While looking through hundreds of hard times tokens I did come across something called a Tiffin Token which seems to be almost a dead ringer for the front and back designs but they only had a date of 1812. I just dont think that date is 1812. Getting closer.
 

Attachments

  • Tiffin1.jpg
    Tiffin1.jpg
    44.7 KB · Views: 209
Back
Top Bottom