I purchased the 1740 Basel 1/4 Taler (top left photo) about four months ago from a Swiss gentleman while buying some Shooting Medals. It looked to be in very nice almost uncirculated condition and the price was more than fair. I studied and photographed it for two months, then sent it to NGC. Eventually it came back graded MS62.

Since then I have seen the same coin offered by Baldwins UK in VF (top right photo) and Stack's in brilliant UNC (bottom right photo) with a completely different basilisk on the obverse.
That's right, technically that is a basilisk and not a dragon. Those of us with children who have read every Harry Potter book know the difference...

The reverse design (bottom left photo) is exactly the same at all three coins.

Baldwin's lists their example as a DT-767 and as a HMZ-105 with no KM #. Stack's listed theirs as a KM-143.

Is the obverse of my coin with the alternate basilisk design (top left photo) listed in any reference work? It is possibly a pattern or otherwise unique?

I would greatly appreciate it if someone with the books could check and see. Thanks again!

The first coin is listed and shown in the 18th century Krause as KM-142. In the 4th edition, it is priced in dollars as
VG-20, F-35, VF-100, XF-200, UNC-350

The second type is listed and shown as KM-143 and priced as
VG-25, F-40, VF-125, XF-250, UNC-400.

There is a 3rd listed, but not illustrated, as KM-144. It is listed as "rare" and is unpriced. The only description offered is "Basilisk holding different shield", which is not very helpful or informative.

Grivna1726, I owe you once again.

Prices seem to have gone up a bit on these, as the Stack's coin sold for $690 plus buyer's fee. Then again it was a real beauty.

Now I am on a quest to at least find a photo of a KM-144, and to someday purchase a nice KM-143. RELEASE THE HOUNDS!

Greatly appreciate you looking this up for me, thanks again...

THIS LINK might prove helpful.

THIS LINK captures some unrelated items, but also a few that might be informative.

Krause is not the "bible" people sometimes think it is. Prices can be high, low or even not for the type shown. You need to check auction records and specialized catalogs for less commonly traded items.



You are welcome. My collecting interest lies primarily in Imperial Russian coins and I have a reasonably good library for Russian coins. I don't collect Swiss coins (although I love the designs, especially the 18th century coins, but must maintain some sort of collecting focus) and so have little in the way of references for them other than very general works like the Krause catalogs.

You might want to check out the references listed in the descriptions of the coins in the links provided. I'm not familiar with those books, but my guess is that they are probably the standard references for the series.