Can you identify these stolen coins?

MrEureka

Article from the BBC:

Police are trying to find the owners of a historic coin collection, believed to be worth about £100,000.

The coins, which date back to 1637, were discovered in the boot of a car, which was searched in Smallbridge, Rochdale, by officers last month.

They were among other goods including crockery, cutlery, an old camera and a statuette, stolen in burglaries.

Officers did not initially believe the coins to be valuable, but research revealed they were worth £10,000 each.

Experts said they could be worth more as a collection.

Insp Lin Houldershaw, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "If anybody recognises the coins, which we think may have been stolen from an elderly person, they should phone or call into Littleborough police station.

"I would be delighted if we could get these coins, which are obviously extremely valuable, but may also be of great sentimental value, back to the rightful owners."


FYI, I've already asked for larger images. Will post them if they are provided.

TwoKopeiki

Looks like a 17th Century Saxony set, of some kind.

Looking in my German Krause, the klippes appear to be KM#713 (Davenport either 7657 or 2648 - someone with the catalog can confirm this). Obv: Crowned A in sprays, date divided above. Rev: Hand w. wreath from cloud above Hercules on a cloud.

TwoKopeiki

Makes me wonder if this was some kind of off-metal presentation set...

MrEureka

I doubt they're off metal. More likely just toned and not especially well photographed.

My best guess is that this was part of a museum display.

1jester

Andy, that sounds right to me too, but it could also be from a private collection. It seems that the fact that nobody, including museums, has jumped up to claim them leads me to believe that they were lost/stolen/looted a long time ago; hence the lack of clear ownership. Perhaps they were looted back during WWII? Lots of things were and not everything has been recovered yet that is known to be lost; much more must have been lost than we can ever know, the owners of which having been eliminated and all memories of the stolen goods lost forever.

Dentuck

They appear to be replicas set in the lid of a jewelry box.

MrEureka

According to the police, "the coins are set into the lid of a rustic wooden box".

CIVITAS

They look like impressions in hammered copper plate to me, but who can tell with such a small photo.

Writersblock

I suspect they are probably replicas as well.