Queen Anne coin?

[Martyn]

Hello. I have a coin I can't identify, and I am hoping someone here can help me out.

The coin is silver, 23 mm in diameter and very thin. I can only read part of the legend arround the edge, but it appears to be Queen Anne on the obverse with English, Scottish and Irish emblems on the reverse, plus one other I can't make out.

My cheap scanner is not up to the job of getting a usable image of the coin, so I have had to resort to pen and paper. (I hope) I have attached my drawing - please note, the grey areas are too dirty or corroded (can silver corrode?) to make out. And the squiggles on the reverse represent lions!

Thanks.

[Emperor Oli]

'fraid your sketch didn't attach. But from you description, I reckon it's either a shilling or sixpence - probably a shilling (does it look like the picture below?). The shillings are about 24-25mm in diameter and the sixpences are about 21mm in diameter - try to remeasure it. If you had a date, we could value it for you.

[Martyn]

Rats. Defeated by technology once again!

I will have another go at attaching the picture...

[Emperor Oli]

Hmm those interlinked C's in the angles aren't on any coins of that period - the only British monarch that I can think of with those upon a coin is Charles II. Also, the legend on the reverse is inaccurate which leads me to believe that it's perhaps a forgery. Oh, and Queen Anne never wore a necklace and looks rather different from your picture. Yup, I think it's a forgery.

[Half Penny Jon]

Also, queen anne always had the date at the top of the reverse, all except the farthing which had the date in the exergue.

[Guest Gallicrow]

I suspect it's genuine. This page describes the different legends used on Queen Anne coins:

Queen Anne legends

It mentions that "Regina" spelt out in full was used on coins early on in Anne's reign.

Here's one dated 1704:

from www.onlinecoins.co.uk

This has "Reg" rather than "Regina", maybe they used Regina prior to 1704?

[Sylvester]

I think it's time i put forth my opinion, being that is is entirely within my area of interest.

Firstly no Queen Anne coin has the interlinked C's, those are of only found on Charles II coins.

Secondly and rather obviously the legend on the reverse is completely wrong.

Reg was always spelt REG, either before or after 1707.

[Sylvester]

Looking at the legend on the reverse as he has drawn it it looks more to say John (IOHANN), James... (IACO)

Likewise no necklace, so i think it's an unofficial commemorative piece rather than a forgery as it'd never pass as a forgery! It would be spotted within minutes. (unless it's a Scottish coin?)

And as far as i'm aware Gallicrow the only spelling alterations on the British stuff is with either BRI or FRA.

I think the pre union ones say BR FRA, and the post say BRI FR. I can't remember from the top of my head though.

[Martyn]

Thanks for all the advice.

It does look more likely to be one of the Scottish shillings, if it is genuine - the link to the Queen Anne guide was very interesting by the way. But I agree that the odd words on the reverse mean it is probably a fake/unofficial token of some kind, especially as it also looks a lot less well made than the coins pictured above (not a proper milled edge, more like a hammered coin in fact). An illiterate Scots forger at work, perhaps?

Still fascinating, though. I am now trying to remove the muck obscuring the rest of the legend!