Earliest edge inscription?

[Rangnath]

There are probably terms used to describe information that appears on the edge of a coin, rather than the obverse or reverse. 
Any way, Peter's reply on a different topic led me to asking..
Which was the first minting authority to include information about the coin on its edge? 
richie

[chrisild]

From what I have read, edge inscriptions were introduced in France in 1577 (originally raised, by the way), then British, Northern German and Danish pieces had them in the mid/late 17th century. But this may be eurocentric information, don't know.

Christian

[Rangnath]

1577!  Wow!
Chistian, were they gold or silver?  I'd love to see it.
richie

[a3v1]

Not the very first, but a very fine inscription on the edge can be found on Dutch (province of Holland) silver riders dated 1671/1672:
NERVOS _x REIPUBLICAE _x ACCIDERE _x FACINUS _x MORTE _x PIANDUM
("pruning" the nerve of the state is a crime to be punished by death).
Regards,
a3v1

[chrisild]

Guess that those first coins with edge inscriptions were silver pieces too. Have not seen any but "my" encylopedia (Kahnt, Das große Münzlexikon) says that those first ones (1577) were thaler style issues from France. Apparently they were made using spring rings. For the later issues (1642 Clausthal/Harz, 1651 England, 1668 Denmark, 1670 Brandenburg and Sweden) a "Rändelwerk" was used - the coins rolled along/against metal bars and thus got their inscriptions.

Christian

[translateltd]

Guess that those first coins with edge inscriptions were silver pieces too. Have not seen any but "my" encylopedia (Kahnt, Das große Münzlexikon) says that those first ones (1577) were thaler style issues from France. Apparently they were made using spring rings. For the later issues (1642 Clausthal/Harz, 1651 England, 1668 Denmark, 1670 Brandenburg and Sweden) a "Rändelwerk" was used - the coins rolled along/against metal bars and thus got their inscriptions.

Christian

The first milled silver coins issued under Charles I of England (1662) had DECVS ET TVTAMEN (an ornament and a safeguard) on the edge, which continued in use for many years, long after there was any risk of clipping coins to make a dishonest profit.  Some higher-value gold and silver coins of Cromwell (1656/58) had lettered edges, but I can't find any reference to earlier coins (e.g. the 1651 quoted above) - lettered edges on hammered coins would have been virtually impossible, I would have thought.

Martin
NZ

[Rangnath]

chrisild, a3v1 and translateltd,
I wonder..
have there been coins "dice like" in configuration?  I suppose they could have been hammered, with information on 4 to 6 sides of the cube?  I recently received a cube like copper coin (only stamped on two sides) that could have been marked in that way if someone had taken the notion to do so.
richie

[a3v1]

have there been coins "dice like" in configuration?  I suppose they could have been hammered, with information on 4 to 6 sides of the cube?  I recently received a cube like copper coin (only stamped on two sides) that could have been marked in that way if someone had taken the notion to do so.

@ Richie,
No such coins have been issued in the western hemisphere, by all I know.
The origin and main reason for rimming a coin, or putting information on the edge, was to prevent clipping of coins made of precious metals.
Regards,
a3v1

[Figleaf]

I haven't seen any old Asian coins with an edge inscription, but I have seen one with a small punch mark on the edge of the kind the Chinese used to check metal content.

Peter

[Austrokiwi]

In the 18th century, each Austrian Habsburg mint used different edge decorations ( between the wording), I am not sure why: because each mint also had a different Mint "signature" and/or mint mark.

[Filat]

Not the very first, but a very fine inscription on the edge can be found on Dutch (province of Holland) silver riders dated 1671/1672:
NERVOS _x REIPUBLICAE _x ACCIDERE _x FACINUS _x MORTE _x PIANDUM
("pruning" the nerve of the state is a crime to be punished by death).
Regards,
a3v1

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