Jester's Challenge #216

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 two hundred sixteenth selection:

elverno

Beautiful example! These are common but really tough to obtain in this grade.


Spectacular die break (planchet flaw?) too...

theboz11

Is that a die crack on the rev. WOW that die must have broken on the next press

1jester

Yes, it is a fantastic planchet error; it looks like a massive lamination; I don't think the die broke. But I can't tell exactly. There is evidence of the coin having been struck multiple times too. Who knows what happened to it, but I have no doubt its strange appearance was why it was put away and saved. OK for me! I like error coins and old high grade ones too.

1jester

I'm not familiar with these coins, but isn't the rooster a privy mark for Paris? I believe A represents the mint mark for Paris. And what do I see to the left--the Walking "Sower" so beloved on more recent French coins? I also find it pretty cool to see the designer's name on the obverse under the bust.

Where is Laurent? I thought he'd like this one.

joecool

elverno

I read somepace that the walking woman was the goddess Artemis. Not sure the significance though...

Coconut