Help! 17th-Century Austrian question. Counterfeit? (BIG pics)

coinpictures

Ack. Just got the Austrian piece I initially talked about here (Salzburg 1/2 Thaler, 1695). It looks fine, some planchet cracks, etc., but it doesn't "ring" like modern silver does. It has more of a plasticky "clack". No weight is listed in Krause, so I can't check it that way. No sign of casting by looking at the rim.

I don't have any other pieces of the type and era to compare it to; I only have smaller-denomination klippes.

Were these made out of silver, billion, a mixture?

Something just seems "off"...

Some pictures:

Madame

I don't no anything about the coin. But I had to say something about the photos. Excellient close-ups. I wish I could shoot that close and so sharp. Your finger print are so clear that the lines show amazingly.

gxseries

I am guessing that because of the overstruck event, which is very evident in that particular coin caused the planchet to crack, which is another bad feature of overstriking. Because of such, silver that should sound like silver doesn't sound like it as the sounds try to vibrate through the crack, except not able to. One of the silver rubles that I have seem to give out slightly different sound effect.

Perhaps, you should get a specialized catalogue - Krause is very bad when it comes to specialized field, although I am not too sure what author is recommanded for Austrian coins.

CIVITAS

Thalers at the time I believe were struck on a standard of about 28.6g., so I'm guessing your coin should come in somewhere around 13.5-14.3 g.

As gxseries mentioned, a coin with flan cracks that extensive could have a very strange ring, if it has one at all.

I do believe that the silvery spot between the two bishops head may be replaced metal to fill a flan void.

coinpictures

Thanks for the information guys. The coin weighs in at 14.4g, at the very edge of the range you mentioned.

I checked the silver area between the two bishops under 15x, and if it is filled in, they did it very skillfully, as I could not find anything one way or the other. The toning/coloring in that center area matches other areas on the obverse.

I'm inclined to keep it, as it is very attractive in hand (unless you break out the magnification and start looking for all the planchet cracks)....

Good information on the overstrike cracks deadening the sound. Now that I think about it, it makes sense from a physics standpoint (the soundwaves are prevented from progressing through the coin in a consistent manner, so instead of a clear "ring" you get a much duller, deader sound).

Ya learn something new around here every day!

*sniff* I love you guys.... *sniff*