Expert: Dmitry Livshits - 8/27/2009

Question
Hello Dmitry,
I have a gold coin with a gorilla on the front and 900 below him.
On the reverse it says 1844-1969 125 jahre zoo berlin.
I have spent days searching for info with no luck.
I cant even confirm if this coin is gold,silver as there is much confusion about the 900 stamp........any help would be so much appreciated....thank you,Ant.

Answer
Hi Anthony,
You have a commemorative medallion of the 125th Anniversary of the Berlin Zoo. The 900 stamp is a little confusing. Typically silver items will receive such a stamp, while a gold item will be marked 22k rather than .900. However, this is not always true in Europe, where they often use marks like .750 instead of 18k on jewelry.
My feeling is that this is probably a gold plated silver piece. Gold medals are usually reserved for really major events, at least in the contemporary era. Back in the 19th century there were more medals made in gold.
If there is no sign of silver color coming out from beneath fading gold plating, you really ought to have a jeweler test it for you. That process takes less than a minute and should cost around $5.
If the medal is indeed gold then it would also be quite rare, as there would be only a handful in existence.
Thanks for the question! =)