TOY COINS

[DrLarry]

You will, I hope, indulge my interest in these tiny miniatures.  I hope they will be interesting to collectors many are new and not included in Rogers.  I find them fascinating because of the whimsical nature of them and the role they would have played with children throughout the last 2 centuries.  I am particularly interested in Lauer coins and would be grateful to have any exchange of ideas or research on the manufacturing history and distribution.  Luckily I have the microscope and will will take images and would like discussion and debate about them from any collectors.  I know they are not currency pre decimal coins but they are of interest I hope, as much as for any other reason than they are beautiful little replicas.  It is also a chance for me to sort and re-examine them in between paintings just to clear my mind.  

Many thanks 

Edited November 14, 2022 by DrLarry

[Peckris 2]

the only ones I have are the 'baby head' Albert POW, "12 pence make 1 shilling"

[DrLarry]

29 minutes ago, Peckris 2 said:

the only ones I have are the 'baby head' Albert POW, "12 pence make 1 shilling"

The KNOW your ONIONs they are quite cute those.  

[DrLarry]

Every now and again I am lucky enough to find boxes made for the Lauer Coins in particularly with what I assume to be a full set.  These have been useful in that they give greater insight into the original contents.  They also throw up some strange anomalies , for example I purchased a set of the German coins in it's original box with the 100 Mark note on the top of the small gilt box and inside were 2 examples of quite a rare american Lauer 2 cent piece.  The box is uncirculated and as are the coins.  The set came from the US and is still inside the shop box made for it supplied at sale.  Whether these were tasters I can't be sure .  

the box contained 2 20 mark ;3 5 mark (gold) 2 x 2 mark;2 x 1 mark ; 3 50 Pfennig ; 2 x 20 pfennig (silver) ; 7 x 10 Pfennig 3 in brass with the Kaisers head and 4 in zinc with the eagle ; 3 x 5 pfennig in zinc (eagles); 4x 2 Pfennig eagles 5 x 1 pfennig (copper) eagles  As I mentioned the copper USA 2 cents and 4 playing counters in plain metal uniface marked 5 and 10 .  The box is the standard Horse jumper but with a blue 100 Mark note .  marked Nurnberger Spielmunzen  although interestingly it also has the sailing ship lid type in the same box Rogers #4700  he had never seen the box himself and is described as RRR*  

 

Roger's notes that he is unsure of the issue types and I am hoping this small box helps someway.  Note it contains no 10 mark Gold coins  and is a mix of the portrait and the double headed eagle ,  all the heads are the old head type .  All are uncirculated as is the box  so we have some indication of the set (perhaps) 

With this in mind I thought I would start with the sets and the boxes .  all coins are 12 mm to 14 mm 

Edited November 15, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

The Second German set I have contained a lot less and has some interesting variation.  The box is 34 mm and contained 10 coins up to 5 mark  from 1 pfennig ; 2; 5;10;20;and 50 Pfennig . The box and the coins all have the Harpy eagle .  The lower section was has a skyline of Nurnberg 

Edited November 15, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

The British Box :  There appear to be  four designs one a sailing ship; a coach and horses;  a jumping horse and rider; and an old coin screw with two cherubs .  I have found several horse and jumper The rarest I have found is the coin screw cherub type.  The German box has both the sailing ship and the horse jumper on the lid.  The English box has a five pound Note on the lid in some.  This one contained the set from 5 Sovereign to farthing all in uncirculated condition.  This is the Jubilee set dated 1887 it used he half shilling shield sixpence so was prepared in advance of the changes in the sixpence.  

 

Edited November 15, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

The Farthing box made or thin pressed copper foil with George IV and with William IV  .  I do not have the reverse of the William IV box but I see one illustrated in Rogers 4092  I like to think that this base fits my top LOL  .  You may laugh here but one day I was collecting roman pottery along the bank of the River Ouse and found a lovely rim of a Samarian Ware Roman pot.  Some time later a friend was showing me there collection and I looked at his "other half" of a samian pot and lo and behold they fit like a glove.  

Rogers  4091   and 4092

The William IVth lid is rather crude lacking definition 

Edited November 15, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

The half penny box Rogers 4082

Edited November 15, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

The Lid of the George IV Two Pound Box  Rogers 4050   this has solder on the inside as mentioned in Rogers 

Edited November 15, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

The Shilling Box   dated 1850   Rogers # 4060   actually looking at the image the obverse is dated 1865 the base 1850   Rogers mentions the dated 1865 version but in his example the dates correspond on both sides whereas in mine they differ .  

Edited November 15, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

There seem to be a number of slightly different designs for the Windsor Castle Box that was used by Moore for his medalets of the Royal Family.  On one the base is thicker and may have been used for the some other medalets.  Rogers #4100   Rogers suggests that there are 5  or maybe more designs .  Clearly here the castle Keep varies and on some the small huts houses  in the Left is absent .  The variation in the coat of arms varies a little but not much.  

Edited November 15, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

The Prince of Wales Box , contains 4 medalets nicely designed to show the industry of Great Britain.  I think a couple of slightly different designs on the boxes 

Edited November 15, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

I think these are referred to as the oak branch set with a small box made to look like a money box used throughout the Victorian Period  2.5 Shillings , 2 shillings , shillings , sixpence  penny and half penny in Iron and copper 

Edited November 15, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

Small Counter Box containing Spiel Marks 

Edited November 15, 2022 by DrLarry

[Peckris 2]

On 11/15/2022 at 4:13 PM, DrLarry said:

The Farthing box made or thin pressed copper foil with George IV and with William IV  .  I do not have the reverse of the William IV box but I see one illustrated in Rogers 4092  I like to think that this base fits my top LOL  .  You may laugh here but one day I was collecting roman pottery along the bank of the River Ouse and found a lovely rim of a Samarian Ware Roman pot. 

Did you mean Samian Ware? Copper red glazed luxury pottery often with sophisticated embossed designs, and the maker's stamp?

[DrLarry]

1 hour ago, Peckris 2 said:

Did you mean Samian Ware? Copper red glazed luxury pottery often with sophisticated embossed designs, and the maker's stamp?

yes , what did it come out as ? lol  that must have been an auto correction  although no doubt the Samarian Ware is lovely too 

Edited November 16, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

The American USA series are pretty rare here is a full set but without the 5 cent piece I have the Flying Eagle cent which is mentioned but without images in Rogers .  The set goes from one cent to 20 Gold Dollars copper in the cent and 2 cent zinc , zinc coated iron  and Brass for the gold  1 dollar, 2.5 dollar; 3 dollar; 5 dollar Ten dollar and 20.  There is also a trade Dollar 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

The Ten Dollar   please remember that these coins produced in Germany in 1880  by L  Ch Lauer are 12 MM to 14mm and would have initially been mass produced for each country in the series .  I find the quality remarkable 

 

Edited November 21, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

Five Dollars : Brass gilt USA series  1880 

Edited November 21, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

3 Dollars : Gilt Brass 13 MM  Indian Princess Head 

 

Edited November 21, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

2 ^1/2  Dollar  2424 

Edited November 22, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

The One Dollar :  I am only adding high quality images because as good as Rogers is some of the images are pretty weak 

Edited November 23, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

The Trade Dollar Rogers #2426 is a trade Dollar rather than a silver Dollar .  There is no image in Rogers 

Edited November 23, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

The Quarter Dollar is also without an image as he had not seen one  Rogers #2428

Edited November 23, 2022 by DrLarry

[DrLarry]

There is a 20 Cent Piece which is unlisted in Rogers it should sit as number 2429 which is taken by the Dime   

Edited November 23, 2022 by DrLarry