1 Dicken Restrike

(en) Examples of this type:

• Example #1:

© Image courtesy of SINCONA AG:
◦ Auctioned by UBS Gold & Numismatics, Auction 84, 19 January 2010, Lot 1926.

The coin originally came from the Engel (Thun) collection, then came into the Gottlieb Wüthrich collection and caused heated discussions as early as 1882 at the SNG annual meeting. Famous numismatists such as Maurice de Palécieux or Dr. Trachsel subsequently submitted their scientific analyzes of this piece. It is clear that the year cannot be typographically from the time of 1410; the number "4" in particular is of a completely different design than was common at that time (for example compare Plappart 1424 of the city of St. Gallen). Only with the Berner Dicken from 1492 was the number "4" made more modern. Under the microscope you can also see that the year is clearly not worked out from the field, but was probably stamped into an old stamp (contrary to earlier theories; see, inter alia, HMZ 1988, p.541 / 542). Then the embossing took place. This theory is also reinforced by the fact that there are numerous small raised points on the coin. These points have their origin in a rusty stamp. Another curiosity is the fact that an X-ray spectral analysis showed clear traces of gold under the silver (in the Engel Collection the piece was still called "la dorure dont elle est couverte"). In some places on the coin, there is also a gold-colored primer for tiny scratches. All of this leads to the following conclusion: probably in the 17th or 18th century an old, already rusted stamp of a Bernese Dickens o. J. (around 1500-1528) subsequently hallmarked with the year "1410". The coin was then minted, gilded and then silvered again (late 19th / early 20th century). Despite all the analyzes, the background of this production remains unknown.