European silver riddle

Moved by ZacUK from Free discussion to Coin identifications and valuations

what is that.

my new acquisition

very nice

  SOLIDVS LIVONI    that is the inscription on the first image.
CAROLVS GVSTAV DG R S    that is the inscription on the second image. And a CG monogram.
The coin is a 1 Solid of Carl X Gustav (1654-1660) and is made of billon. The red parts are the missing or not readable letters; the date is on the missing part after SOLIDVS LIVONI _ _ and was the last two numbers of the date, e.g. a 1655 coin would have SOLIDVS LIVONI 55 for example. Though maybe yours is indeed 1655 as above the lower part of the first image it looks like some of the missing parts are showing; so starts SO letters and ends in a 5 number.

 There is one already on here - not the same, but it is a start ...
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces31705.html


Livonia (Possession of Sweden)
Taler = 30 grosch; Grosch = 30 solid

Cristina (1632-1654)
Carl X Gustav (1654-1660)
Carl XI (1660-1697)

 A Solid or Solidus was also called a Schilling or Silins and is on here ...
http://www.ngccoin.com/poplookup/world-coin-prices.aspx?category=112139&worldcoinid=289323&FromSearch=true
 as the page on Numista is already for KM# 50 then yours must be KM# 4 as it is not like that one. Though NGC and NumisMaster show both KM#  with the same image.  

 Finally here is a page (in Swedish) showing an image of what your coin should look like - it is also 1655 luckily, and is the fourth image of the five on here ...
http://www.home.neab.net/gandalf/coins/possessions/livland.htm

 I made a very rough comparison drawing of the two parts of your first image against the above page; with the missing parts drawn in red.

I got all excited cos I could solve one but Zak beat me  

I've got over a dozen of these, all picked up for next to nothing during the past year. I've passed on the opportunity to add another 20 or so. This is somewhat strange as during almost 50 years of collecting prior to this I never owned a single one or even saw one.

The market is suddenly flooded with these. Does anyone know why? I really doubt that they are all Chinese knock-offs as they are relatively low value. Has a major hoard been uncovered somewhere?

Citation: ZacUKSOLIDVS LIVONI    that is the inscription on the first image.
CAROLVS GVSTAV DG R S    that is the inscription on the second image. And a CG monogram.

Impressive

Citation: pnightingaleHas a major hoard been uncovered somewhere ?

I'm going to investigate

I'll take the path of pumpkins to find out the key

Citation: pnightingaleI've got over a dozen of these, all picked up for next to nothing during the past year. I've passed on the opportunity to add another 20 or so. This is somewhat strange as during almost 50 years of collecting prior to this I never owned a single one or even saw one.

The market is suddenly flooded with these. Does anyone know why? I really doubt that they are all Chinese knock-offs as they are relatively low value. Has a major hoard been uncovered somewhere?

I had a few of these a while back - I passed them on to someone more interested in them. I remember when researching what they were seeing a picture on the internets of literally thousands of them together, but can't find a link now...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lot-of-6-silver-hammered-coins-/111239013029?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_sacat%3D0%26_okw%3D%26_oexkw%3D%26_adv%3D1%26_udlo%3D%26_udhi%3D%26_ftrt%3D901%26_ftrv%3D1%26_sabdlo%3D%26_sabdhi%3D%26_samilow%3D%26_samihi%3D%26_sadis%3D200%26_fpos%3D%26LH_SALE_CURRENCY%3D0%26_sop%3D12%26_dmd%3D1%26_ipg%3D50%26_nkw%3D111239013029%26_rdc%3D1&nma=true&si=jRXhC%252FrO9EcQGt0ck9ppim2Vbw0%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557


more turn up...

The ebay page says:

" Lot of 6 silver hammered coins. Metal detecting finds from central Europe"

So probably someone found a large trove of such coins and sold it on the black market.