https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/massive-medieval-coin-hoard-worth-about-150-sheep-discovered-in-germanys-black-forest
150 sheep eh..?
Interesting coins. The dies seem well cut but the manufacture is very crude. You'd expect the "flash" to be trimmed off and recycled before them going into circulation.
Quote from: Imperial Dave on August 16, 2024, 07:01:13 AMhttps://www.livescience.com/archaeology/massive-medieval-coin-hoard-worth-about-150-sheep-discovered-in-germanys-black-forest
150 sheep eh..?
The sheep to silver ratio has changed over the years. If the coins are 1 gram, the 1600gms is worth about £1200 which is about 10 young breeding sheep
Quote from: Erpingham on August 16, 2024, 09:23:38 AMInteresting coins. The dies seem well cut but the manufacture is very crude. You'd expect the "flash" to be trimmed off and recycled before them going into circulation.
Perhaps the blank, silver disks are a specific weight and the die stamping process splays the silver beyond the die? What determines the coin's value, the weight of the coin or the imprint? If weight, then no need to trim flash.
14th century Germany, I would expect, was using coins as tokens of value, as opposed to bullion. Certainly, in England, the coins would be clipped to harvest the spare silver - it was even done illegally on finished coins.