CRIMEA: (GIRAY KHANS): Shahin Giray, 1777-1783, silverwashed AE pattern (51.98g), Kaffa, AH1191 year 5, A-, Sariev-459 (this piece), 3rd series, toughra // mint & date, oblique reeding; pattern for an undetermined denomination, possibly the ischal (tschal), though the silverwash suggests that it might be a pattern for crown-size silver coin that was never issued; probably unique and apparently unknown to Retowski, VF to EF, RRRR, ex Künker Auction 234 Lot 6585. A mint was set up in Sadogura in Ukraine by the Baron von Asch, which struck coins for Moldavia & Wallachia 1771-1774, then moved the minting machinery to Kaffa circa 1779 or 1780 to strike coins for Shahin Giray, essentially copper coins (with a minuscule added silver), plus a few gold & silver medals. According to Lutz Ilisch, the mint operated for only about ten months, mainly in regnal year 5 and briefly into the year 6. Sariev reckoned the coin as the tschal, citing this piece as 81.98g, which would be appropriate for the tschal, but the weight was correctly stated in the Künker auction as 51.92g (sic), far too light for the tschal.
Estimate: $5000-6000