POST MEDIEVAL COIN

1600

Treasure Trove case: 2006 T115Five silver coins found during World War II. The coins are all thalers of the 17th century and were produced in the Holy Roman Empire. As such, they will be made of good silver, certainly over 90% fine. They all have similar loops attached to them, to suggest that they had formed all or part of a piece of decorative jewellery. The loops are attached so that at least one side of each coin is displayed upright. The details of the coins are as follows.1. Thaler of Johann Georg I, elector of Saxony, and August of Saxe-Naumberg (1611-15), dated 1612, with 3 loops intact and signs of a fourth now missing. Wt: 29.55g. Diameter: 42.6mm Thickness: 2.4mm Reference: Davenport 7573This coin is the only one manufactured with a random die alignment between its front and back, showing that it was the front, with the portrait of Johann Georg, which was intended to be seen upright in relation to the loops. The coin also shows signs of a previous use as jewellery, before the current loops were attached.2. Thaler of Archduke Leopold of Austria as count of Tyrol (1623-32), dated 1632, 4 loops attached. Wt: 28.78g. Diameter: 42.1mm Thickness: 2.3mm Reference: D 33383. Thaler of the city of Augsburg, dated 1643, with portrait of Emperor Ferdinand III, 4 loops attached. Wt: 29.47g. Diameter: 43.8mm Thickness: 2.2mmReference: D 50394. Thaler of the city of Augsburg, dated 1694, with portrait of Emperor Leopold I, 4 loops attached. Wt: 29.60g. Diameter: 44.3mm Thickness: 2.03mmReference: D 50485. Thaler of Maximilian II Emanuel, elector of Bavaria (1679-1726), dated 1694, 4 loops attached. Wt: 29.66g. Diameter: 43.5mm Thickness: 2.2mmReference: D 6099It seems evident that these five object originally formed all or part of a piece of jewellery, probably made in south Germany (perhaps specifically in Bavaria) in the 1690s. They are all of good silver. Thus, they would have been deposited together in the location where they were found, although the precise circumstances of this are not known, and this is perhaps the main area of uncertainty in this case: were the items deposited in the late 17th or 18th century, or were they a later loss or concealment? At the time of the reported discovery of the coins, in the 1940s, the old Treasure Trove requirements would have applied, and in terms of these criteria, the objects are clearly of good metal and their owners appear to be untraceable. It also seems unlikely that such decorative and valuable items would have been discarded.