constanius Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia. (1786-1797). This is an English copy by Kettle of a Prussian gold coin dated 1796, Kettle probably made this as a memorial medal for Friedrich's death in 1797 but he just copied a prussian d'or down to the 1796 date & the 'A'(mintmark for Berlin) gilt copper 25mm. Obviously not meant to deceive as Kettle signed the medal/coin, probably he was just in a hurry to cash in on the death of Friedrich Wilhelm II & copied the first thing to hand. This Kettle would be Henry Kettle, active 1780-1801 under his own name and signed as Kettle, then with his sons, as Kettle & sons(K & S) until his oldest(?) son Thomas continued the firm(1812-1833) under his own name & signed Kettle again. That brings us to this medal of Elverno's, signed Kettle and assumed engraved & signed by Thomas in 1814 but he has just reused his father's old obverse die of the dead father of the then Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III. So the obverse die Thomas used was his father's work(albeit just a copy) and of the wrong king as well, who had been dead for 17 years!!! . http://www.napoleonicmedals.org/coins/bhm-809.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 That's pretty interesting. So Kettle was an anything for a buck kind of guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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