Can't quite place this one...

tbirde56

...a button, a coin, or...? Shield is similar to that of Danzig. Any ideas?
The owner says: 'Found in Northern Massachusetts in our back yard, about three feet under ground while a fence was being installed. Poor condition but very heavy (gold?), it has a shield on one side and has crosses within the shield along with the crown. The other side has a deteriorating animal or lion standing upright or in rampant position. The lion side has Roman numerals of MCLVI (1406) but can't read the rest. The back side with the shield has the word NOM or at least the letters OM.'

danglen

Looks a lot like a 1992 Jefferson Nickel

Askari

I do not recognize the arms at all; it sort of looks French. The lion appears to be Dutch to me.

I believe MCLVI is 1156, not 1406. In any case, Frey only lists Aachen as known to be issuing dated coinage in that year and in 1156, probably the Moors were the only ones issuing dated coinage in Europe.

tbirde56

You're right about the date. I should have looked at the Krause number systems page (duh). I always got the L and D mixed up and just assumed it would be the later date. I doubt this is a real coin but I really don't have any idea what it is. Maybe a pre-Columbus Viking relic? Or an old button? Interesting piece.

spinaker2000

now that's something that you don't see everyday!!" A stumped tbirde!!"

Compa

I really have no idea on the coin, but ... the 'lion' on the one side looks a lot like the stance of the bear on the coat used for Bern Switzerland several hundred years back.

Just a thought.

Askari

A Viking relic with a Roman numeral date? I kind of doubt it. In any case, the design is much later than that and looks to me like it best fits the 16th-18th century period. There's just too little to go by and my knowledge of this era's coinage is pretty slim.

I also have to question whether the coin is gold. Would a dug gold coin look that corroded (allowing for the usual amount of copper impurities)? I have to wonder if it's not bronze with the golden highlights made by cleaning. My best guess would be a small bronze coin issued by a small Dutch municipality. You'd really have to search through heraldic sources to identify the owner of those arms.

1jester

I agree that the lion could be Bern's bear. Also, I can't read the Roman numerals, and this is just a guess, but if there's a D between the M and the C, then the date would read MDCLVI, for 1656, and that would be more believable for a date. Just a guess. Also, to me, in the scan I see what appears to be some base metal, gray colored, with a gilt covering. Is this correct? I still have no idea what the coin is.