Jester's Challenge #161

1jester

Welcome to Jester's Challenge, an interactive history lesson.

Inspired by many others here on the Darkside forum, I'd like to present what I hope will turn into a great learning experience for all of us. Many members on this World and Ancient Coin Forum have done a formidable job of sharing with us many fascinating and historically important coins. Since looking at coins is also one of my greatest pleasures, I'd like to try to follow in that time-honored tradition and submit for your pleasure and entertainment some world coins I've come across in my short lifetime.

I will pick out a coin on a regular basis, and post it along with the challenge to you to name the coin, its provenance, denomination, metallic content, mintage, any distinguishing characteristics or noteworthy features, and its value. The more information, the better. I'd like as many people as possible to participate, regardless of how little knowledge you might have on the subject. I appreciate comments on every aspect of the coin, including its history, or its role in human history, or info on similar coins in its series, etc. I myself don't presume to know 1/1000 of what you collectively know, hence my challenge to all of you to share your knowledge with the rest of us. Hopefully this exercise will encourage thought, discussion, and most importantly, more friendship.

Thanks for your participation!!!

Here is the one hundred sixty-first selection:

a2labmom

Am I reading the date right on this coin, 1697? Wow, what a nice looking piece of history!

newsman

How do I know if that's a sixpence, shilling, half crown or crown? The size?

Lloyd

Difficult to tell without knowing the size. Either a William III (of Orange) Shilling or Sixpence. Probably the latter. First Bust early harp. Books at £50 in EF. You could spend your life collecting William III silver varieties and come up with around 10% of the set..!

1jester

Good question, Newsman and Lloyd. It measures 21 mm in diameter, which makes it a 6-pence. Thanks for the comments!

python

Lloyd, it's a 3rd bust, latter harp with large crowns(S-3538). My 2003 Spink has it at 125gbp in EF.

Bruce

That is a neat old coin, and it even has a date that far back. Gotta love it.