Name this coin.

entrepinoy · January 16, 2008 3:04PM

Hello everyone,
I recently found out I inherited a vast collection of coins and I am trying to determine their origin and value.

All I know about this coin is that it has Arabic written on it, I am planning to ask a coworker this weekend for a translation.
But I was wondering if anyone here recognizes it.

Thanks in advance.

spoon · January 16, 2008 3:22PM

Looks like an Ottoman (Turkish) 250 piastres, Monnaie de Luxe type (intended as bullion, rather than circulating). Regnal year AH1327 + 5 = AD1913. Issued under Muhammed V (1909-1918, the last Ottoman ruler). It should weigh 17.54g and contains 0.5619 ounces of gold (that comes to just under $500 melt right now). The Krause Standard Catalog of World Coins (a necessity if you plan on dealing with coins in any fashion) reference number is KM 757.

BTW, welcome to the forum!

entrepinoy · January 16, 2008 3:39PM

Thank you very much SPOON for the quick response! I will definitely be picking up a copy of The Krause Standard Catalog of World Coins.

ASUtodd · January 16, 2008 9:19PM

Maybe its the way the coin was made "back in the day" but it looks like there ae some cleaning lines/scratches on the surface.....
Todd

lordmarcovan · January 16, 2008 10:10PM

<< <i>Name this coin. >>

OK, I'll call him "Fred".

No, wait. That's not quite right, in this case.

How 'bout "Mustafa"?

lordmarcovan · January 16, 2008 10:17PM

BTW-

(Don't mind me- I saw you were already in Spoon's capable hands, so I felt free to post ridiculously. I gotta remember not to be so silly with some of the new folk, though- I scared one away on the Metal Detecting Forum recently. He just wasn't ready for "LordM humor", I guess.)

Blackhawk · January 17, 2008 2:21AM

<< <i>OK, I'll call him "Fred". >>

Reminds me of something that I'd always joke with my kids about when they were little. Everytime they pointed out an animal, I'd tell them that the creature's name was Bob.

entrepinoy · January 17, 2008 3:56AM

No worries about the joke LORDM!
My aunt let me borrow a book of hers, but these coins I had a hard time looking up.
I couldn't find this coin in there either.

Thanks again in advance.

farthing · January 17, 2008 7:52AM

1846 16 Pesos (Diez I Seis) from the Republic of Nueva Granada (look under Columbia

) from the Popayan mint.

Nice hunk 'o gold! 27.0 grams of .900 gold or .7813 oz AGW

My old 1996 Krause lists this at $375/VF $425/F and with the rise in gold who knows what it would go for now.

DorkGirl · January 17, 2008 9:44AM

DesertRat · January 17, 2008 9:57AM

Name this coin

Quincy

I always liked that name

entrepinoy · January 17, 2008 11:23AM

Thanks FARTHING!
You guys/girls are on point. I feel so overwhelmed when I browse these forums. It's going to take me awhile to understand the grading, but with the helpfulness from everyone here, it sure makes it easier and FUN to learn more about the origin and history of these coins.
Anyone in the Metro DC area?
Hi DORKGIRL!

I couldn't find the name of this coin. I looked under Mexican coins but I couldn't determine the name of this coin. I like the back, it's like a coin in a coin.
Thanks in advance!

farthing · January 17, 2008 12:34PM

Mexico - 20 Pesos. 16.6666 grams of .9000 gold or .4823 oz AGW

The price probably matches fairly closely the current gold price, perhaps a bit more. Only 462,000 minted, there is also a 1920/10 overdate.

Some nice gold coins you inherited!

satootoko · January 17, 2008 1:11PM

<< <i>Anyone in the Metro DC area? >>

I think Stork is still stationed there. She's a Navy doctor.

entrepinoy · January 17, 2008 5:20PM

Thanks FARTHING again! Could you please explain what a 1920/10 overdate means? Thanks.

lordmarcovan · January 17, 2008 5:28PM

1920/10 would mean that the last two digits of the date were repunched in the die, with the 20 over a 10.

entrepinoy · January 17, 2008 5:37PM

Thanks LORDM, I can't see it with my eyes, so I assume that this comes straight from a book?
What affects do overdates have on coins?

lordmarcovan · January 17, 2008 5:38PM

Overdates are sometimes common, and sometimes rare. They're just considered different varieties, that's all. Sometimes they are worth a premium and sometimes not. Often they can be difficult to detect with the naked eye, as you just mentioned. Other times, they'll jump right off the coin at you.

lordmarcovan · January 17, 2008 5:39PM

Wow, that was bizarre. I see you're switching icons.

I like Cookie Monster better than the last one- the little bouncing blue guy.

entrepinoy · January 17, 2008 5:45PM

Thanks LORDM! I'm picking up on all the jargon, slowly but surely.

I tried looking up this Mexican coin in the book, but I couldn't find anything relating to Cinco De Mayo.
Does anyone else have this in their collection?
Thanks in advance.

lordmarcovan · January 17, 2008 5:45PM

Unfortunately I cannot see your pictures while I am here at work. This server blocks Photobucket.

Dentuck · January 17, 2008 7:42PM

Kenneth Bressett explains "monnaie de luxe" coins in Milestone Coins: A Pageant of the World's Most Significant and Popular Money.

farthing · January 17, 2008 10:34PM

I do not see a monetary value on the Cinco De Mayo piece. This appears to be a medal struck to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 5th of May, 1862.

entrepinoy · January 24, 2008 5:34AM

Thank you everyone for all the insight! You all have sparked my interest in the history of these coins.

This is my next coin in question, sorry for the blurry picture and thanks in advance.

Hussulo · January 24, 2008 6:43AM

1852 gold, Mexico, 8 escudo. Nice coin.

LINK

clarkbar04 · January 24, 2008 8:36AM

Cookie monster,

Those are some fantastic coins you have inherited! The one you just posted is one of my favorite mexican coin designs.

entrepinoy · January 28, 2008 1:59PM

Thanks HUSSULO for the info and CLARKBAR04! I guess I never realized what I had!
Here's an Asian coin, I cannot decipher.
Sorry for the blurry pictures and thanks in advance!

Dawg144 · January 28, 2008 2:28PM

Japanese 1 yen. I'm pretty sure it's from 1871, with a gold content of .0482 oz.
Can anyone read Japanese?

satootoko · January 28, 2008 10:49PM

<< <i>Here's an Asian coin, I cannot decipher >>

The top two pictures (obverse) are upside down and the bottom picture (reverse) needs to be rotated so that the chrysanthemum is on top.

Dawg144 is correct about the date - Showa 4 = 1871. It's the more common "high dot" variety, probably ex-jewelry (rim damage at the top on both sides - the only one I've ever seen without jewelry damage was in a museum in Kawamata).

Combined mintage of both varieties was 1,841,288 . Y#9 in Krause, #01-5 in the JNDA Catalog.

The 13.5mm diameter was reduced to to 12mm in subsequent years, but the 1.67g .900 gold composition was unchanged. I'm not going to try guessing a grade from those pictures, but an older Krause values it at $525 XF and $775 Unc, while the current JNDA Catalog says ¥30-50,000 (~$280-467) in that condition. In this case I'd go with the JNDA value as probably more accurate. (Bullion value is <$50.)

On the relatively rare "low dot" variety that dot at the top of the first two pictures almost touches the rim.

Name this coin.

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