Coin and Paper Money Collecting/Prussian Coin

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Expert: - 11/3/2009


Question
A friend found a coin on the River Thames.
It is probably copper, very thin and around 18mm diameter.

The head is facing left Inscription is Frid Wilhelm III MORT SS REX. On the other side you can make out possible an Eagle with III below and right at the bottom below the III is central A to the left 05. There is some writing at the top I cant make it out maybe the letters to the left above the eagle are A R G E N ?

I have searched the web for several evenings and the bust seems to be FW III of Prussia but the inscription is very different, I cant find anything on the inscription and the rear is different form the coins I have seen Thalers and such like.

I had no luck in our local library either.

If you know anything about this item I would be most grateful

yours sincerely

Bruce C.
England

Answer

E.Prussia 3 gros.
Hi Bruce,
You have a 3 groschen coin from East Prussia, in modern-day Poland. In the Standard catalog of world coins, 1801-1900 edition, it is C #60 under Poland.
The coin is actually made of billon, a low purity silver base. The practical values for these coins are somewhat higher than the listed book value. This is due to a recent upswing in the Polish market.
A better example sells in the $50 to $100 range, while even a well used coin can bring $15 to $25. The book value in the same conditions is listed at $7 up to $30, which is no longer accurate.
I've also included a picture for your reference, and you can get more info from this Russian site:

http://www.coins2.ru/imgsearch/frid+wilhelm/1/71bdb0ace62915bbb088c7b9efdf8324/G...

Thank you for the question! =)

Dmitry Livshits

Expertise

My specialty is world coins from the 18th to 20th centuries, primarily non-US foreign coins and related areas such as errors and exonumia (tokens, medals, etc.). I can answer questions relating to identification, grading, selling, preservation and evaluation of such items. In addition to catalog value, I can give you the practical market value and trends for specific types of coins. I will also take questions regarding counterfeits (both modern and antique) and on how to identify them. I am NOT knowledgeable in paper money/banknotes, ancient or "shipwreck" coins. Thank you.

Experience

Collector of world coins since early childhood. Access to a variety of auction records and reference material. You can also find me on Facebook.

Education/Credentials
A.S. in Psychology (2006), B.A. in Forensic Psychology (2008), M.A. in Forensic Psychology (2011).

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