Jester's Challenge #218

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 eighteenth selection:

coachleonard

My top three guesses: 1566 copper coin of Spanish Netherlands, or Austria or Sweden

1jester

I don't believe it's from any of those places.

1jester

Where are all the experts???

The coin is from Liege, and it's a Half Liard. If that means anything to you guys. I'm just surprised to find copper that old.

Philip

Initially I thought of Liege, but the arms didn't quite seem to fit.

I have a 1 Liard from 1750 in VF+ and it's way cool

Yours is cool too

MadMuffin

Coins from Liege are usually quite nice - but often worn. I have two in my collection: a 1564 liard and a 4 liards from the 1700s (don't remember the exact date - I'm at work right now)

Nice coin, Jester!

Marcel

1jester

Thanks for the additional input, folks. I have a few more coins from Liege, but I'm not certain of their denominations. How would one go about determining that anyway? Are there standard weights and/or diameters to guage coins by? I suppose the designs on the coins themselves would also help. Look for some more of these Liege coins in upcoming Challenges.

As for this one, the arms are indeed different from others I have. However, I think I see something in common with one of them, and that is the pole visible in the right half of the left-most shield on this coin. I believe I have a 12 Sous from the 1600s sometime with that on one side. Sometimes I see various busts as well.

Can someone endarken me a bit as to the historical context of these coins? I assume Liege was a Bishopric. Was it always so? Or was it part of some other allegiance or duchy or country? I've noticed that some of the coins have the colors/standard of Bavaria on them. Some guy called Frederic of Bavaria is on a couple of my coins. Wasn't Bavaria a bit far away from Liege?

Thanks for the stimulating discussion.

Philip

Quite frankly, I have no idea. At the time I obtained the coin I had no 18th century Krause and the coin was only identified as being from Liege.

A quick search brought up this Site about austrian coins and there it was.

MadMuffin

My historical knowledge about Liege is a bit shaky, but I do believe that it was part of one of the provinces of the Low Countries. The city had selv-government... I think by a bishop or something.

There is a guy from the Netherlands who have made some catalogs on the Low Countries-area. I just can't remember his name right now... I'll get back to you once I find the book.

Marcel