Mysterious small silver coin ID help Plz?

[Benjamin52]

Hey everyone,
I went detecting in the woods close to a medieval monestery ruin here in Germany today.
I found this small (aprox 1.5cm) silver "coin"?
It has what looks like an arabic castle with an arc of dots above it on one side and a strange picture on the other with little dots going around too. It looks like it has seen some abuse and might have either been bigger or hammered imprecisely.
Any ID would be appreciated!
Any ideas how to clean it without ruining it?
Thanks for looking!


Some new pics

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[Gridwalker306]

I have no idea about an ID, but it looks old and very cool. Nice find

 

[david680]

I can't help much, and I get what you mean by "Arabic castle" but I'm really doubting that it is Arabian. The details of the coin seem to be much finer than I normally see in Arabic coins, and more reliant on imagery. But I can't deny that the castle looks like it. Anyway, I can't be much help, and may be 100% wrong. It's a nice find.

 

[Benjamin52]

I can't help much, and I get what you mean by "Arabic castle" but I'm really doubting that it is Arabian. The details of the coin seem to be much finer than I normally see in Arabic coins, and more reliant on imagery. But I can't deny that the castle looks like it. Anyway, I can't be much help, and may be 100% wrong. It's a nice find.

Yes, I think you are right, the arabic coins I have seen look like they use letters in a way to create images rather than using images directly...

 

[trapperart]

No help with ID but congrats on a nice find, looking forward to see what it turns out to be

 

[Scrappy]

Not sure about that one. It almost looks cast from the pics. Can you take some in better light? Perhaps it's the filtering you used for clearer images. Something may (or may not) be off but I'll let the experts chime in.

I hope I'm wrong and it's something awesome!

 

[Dust Eater]

The front looks more like a cathedral to me than it does a mosque, but what do I know.

 

[Westfront]

Very nice, whatever it is. Looks like a coin. High(er) grade silver also. I was thinking Serbia but can't find a match. Maybe Mackaydon will chime in.

 

[Tuberale]

Nice coin! I'd suggest posting it in the Coins Forum, just to see if anyone's watching over there.

 

[Rustic]

That's an intriguing find. Please be sure to update us when you get an ID. Can't wait to hear what it is. Nice find!

 

[vince76]

I have seen byzantine coins with the M on them so it can be a byzantine one

 

[lazabert]

ya looks nice need a better lit photo ,, can't wait to see the info ...

 

[Benjamin52]

I believe we've seen a similar one before--and called it a gaming token or souvenir.
Don....

So you believe it is a token or the fact that there are 2 similar ones now would indicate they are a type of coin?

 

[JamieD]

I think it might be an early medieval German silver penny.
The following is close but not quite there - your figure has a spear with flag rather than a crozier (king or prince rather than bishop?) and the church is in a different style but I think it must be in about the right date & area.

https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=1242&lot=2173

Jamie

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Couldn't those be the onion dome buildings in St.Petersburg Russia, so maybe a Russian coin.

 

[Benjamin52]

I think it might be an early medieval German silver penny.
The following is close but not quite there - your figure has a spear with flag rather than a crozier (king or prince rather than bishop?) and the church is in a different style but I think it must be in about the right date & area.

https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=1242&lot=2173

Jamie

Thanks Jamie!
It does look similar, especially the brim around it with the cross-like symbols going around the edge looks very similar!

 

[against the wind]

Excellent find, I don't think they made too many tokens out of silver. Are sure that coin is silver?
Congrats

 

[Benjamin52]

I´ve found silver coins before and seen many too, by the way it looks, cleans out and the patina formation I am 99% sure it´s silver...

 

[JamieD]

The cross like symbols around the edge are letters and if you could see them all you should be able to figure out where it was struck and for who but unfortunately there are a lot missing due to an off-centre strike.

 

[Bramblefind]

I agree with JamieD on medieval German penny - here is a good resource for coins of Cologne and there is one very much like it on page 51.

http://www.numismatas.com/Forum/Pdf/David Ruckser/Coins of Cologne.pdf