I bought a "coin" with a very dark history . . . . . . .
ZoidMeister
Posts: 2,997 ✭✭✭✭✭
Folks,
I have been enamored of late by some of the astounding architectural bronze medals engraved by Wiener, Bianchi, and others during the mid 1800's. In trolling for a few new "objects of my affection" I ran across something that piques my curiosity, and that I just had to pick up . . . . and I believe that it might have quite the dark history in and of itself . . . .
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On the surface, this looks like a somewhat ordinary anniversary medal for the St. Peter's Cathedral in Cologne Germany, but the Cologne Cathedral is no ordinary edifice.
In itself, the cathedral has quite the history. It's construction began in medieval 1248 and continued until 1560, when all work on it stopped. It sat unfinished for 300 years until the mid 1800's when construction resumed. Construction was finally finished in 1880, some 640 years after it began, and the medal below is commemorating the 100 Year Anniversary of its completion. 100 years later, the Cologne Cathedral in West Germany largely survives the conflicts of both World Wars while the surrounding city was flattened.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne_Cathedral
But this thread isn't about the cathedral and its rather unique place in history, but it does make the medal in question even more interesting, and places this unique landmark at the center of how the "coin" below captured my attention.
On the surface this rather pedestrian attempt at designing "souvenir" medal commemorating the completion of the cathedral had just enough design interest to initially capture my attention. The quality of this design is nowhere near the level created by medal engraving artisans of the mid 1800's, but the somewhat "darker" features of this medal piqued my curiosity and brought me to purchase it.
The 100 Year Anniversary of its completion occured in 1980, almost one decade prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. Jimmy Carter was still President and Ronald Regan had just been elected to his first term. The Cold War was still in full swing.
Ostensibly, the spy trade was also in full swing, and that is when, I believe, this little medal was created.
One will notice that this medal is a little "thicker" than normal and when dropped, has a somewhat "hollow" sound. Upon close observation, one can see a very fine seam around the edge of this "coin."
Closer inspection reveals the following:
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Given the time frame in question, I have no doubt that this medal, this device, was put into play during the latter years of the Cold War. It is no longer a commemorative medal, but in fact, a Spy Coin used to clandestinely transmit information from one side, to the other
THAT is what beckoned me to pick up an interesting, but otherwise unremarkable architectural medal.
Thought you might like to see this one as well.
Z
Busy chasing Carr's . . . . . woof!
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Comments
Freaking awesome. They have one like that in the international spy museum
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Neat spy coin... and thanks for the interesting historical background on the cathedral. One of my wife's friends, hearing I was a coin collector, gave me a British cent she had picked up somewhere and had for years in a jewelry box. As I looked at it, the first thing I noticed was it had Queen Elizabeth on both sides... then I saw the seam on the side....it had a '73 Kennedy half inside...perfect fit. She had no idea about it. I still have it. Cheers, RickO
Imagine finding one with a 1964 Peace dollar in it?
@Zoins....
Be still my heart.... 
Cheers, RickO
How was it used to spy? Was there some kind of listening or homing device?
Is this a U.S. coin?
Cool object.
They would smuggle micro film or secret message's and the like hidden within the coin and hopefully it would remain undetected if searched entering or leaving Eastern Bloc Country's, at least that's how it's portrayed in movies,
Awesome piece and a Great Read along with morning coffee. Thanks ZoidMeister I enjoyed this post.
Steve
Well, I wish my mental images of this coin were true. Looks like it was made as a souvenir after all . . .
I imagined that it was Maxwell Smart's pocket piece . . . .
https://www.ma-shops.de/sesambestcoins/item.php?id=41946
Oh well, my story is better.
Z
Busy chasing Carr's . . . . . woof!
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No, West German made.
Busy chasing Carr's . . . . . woof!
Successful BST transactions with: Bullsitter, Downtown1974, P0CKETCHANGE, Twobitcollector, AKbeez, DCW, Illini420, ProofCollection, DCarr, Cazkaboom, RichieURich, LukeMarshall, carew4me, BustDMs, coinsarefun, PreTurb, felinfoal, jwitten, GoldenEgg, pruebas, lazybones, COCollector, CuKevin, MWallace, USMC_6115, NamVet69, zippcity, . . . . who'd I forget?
Extremely cool box.
Until you stand in front of this cathedral you really can’t appreciate its insane dimensions. It’s incredible in person. Was there in 2006.
Oh, I guess wrong forum then 🙃
It's not a coin. It's a medal. Spy's would carry micro film in hollowed out current circulating coins that would blend in and not look out of place with their other pocket change. This was probably intended to carry the picture of a loved one or one's wife.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
There is a company that currently makes similar coins of various types - genuine coins with a compartment inside.
Your medal is large enough to also be a snuff holder. When I was in Germany I saw people snort that nasty stuff.
Wow. Very interesting! Always check the edge for a seam!!!
Subtlety isn’t working, I see. I know this, Perry. OP, wrong forum.
Sometimes the seam is just inside the rim at the juncture of the rim and the field.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
It's like a magician's coin! Only darker like you said!
It's also like a so called "opium dollar" which were mostly made from trade dollars.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.