Expert: Brad Swain - 3/8/2010

Question
QUESTION: I have a silver coin approximately one & five sixteenth inches in dia. with a portrait of Wilhelm Koenig von Prussen on the Obverse. The reverse has a seated figure and the words Sieges Thaler above and the date 1871 below.
Can you tell me more about this coin and if it has any collectors value?

ANSWER: Hi Ron, There were 880,000 of these Prussian 1 Thaler coins commemorating the end of the Franco-Prussian War.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco-Prussian_War
This coin should weigh 18.52 grams and would contain .5360 of an ounce of silver.
Collector value may be worth about $9 with heavy wear to around $15 with moderate wear to maybe $22 with light wear.
You might try Ebay.com for similar pieces for comparison.
You might also try a library for a copy of the Standard Catalog of World Coins for pictures, values and lots more interesting info.
Brad

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Regarding another European coin, This one I believe is Sicilian.  The obverse is a profile bust of a man.  The lettering is as follows:  Ferdinand IV  Sicil.  Then there are three letters;  UUH, or perhaps UUN.
The obverse is as follows:  TOR NESE
         C.6.
         1790

Can you tell me something about this coin?

Answer
Hi Ron, this is a copper 1 Tornese (6 cavalli) from the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily during the reign of King Ferdinando (1759-1805). Collector value may be worth about $2 with heavy wear to around $14 with moderate wear to maybe $35 with light wear.
You might try Ebay.com for similar pieces for comparison.
You might also try a library for a copy of the Standard Catalog of World Coins for pictures, values and lots more interesting info.
Brad