(sold for $131.0)

1850, Harz Region (Saxony-Anhalt). Silver Mining "Cat & Owl" Token (Bergrechnungsmarke) Coin.

Mint Place: Harz Mint Year: ca. 1850 Condition: Minor scratches in fields, otherwise XF! Denomination: Medal / Mining Token (Bergrechnungsmarke) Region: Harz Region (Lower-Saxony/Saxony-Anhalt/Thuringia)  Reference: Elbeshausen C 27, Neumann 31863 var., Knyphausen 7234, Heyse 159 var. R! Diameter: 23mm Weight: 2.73gm Material: Silver

Obverse: Lurking cat in field left. Legend: BEHARRLICHKEIT. UND.      Translated: ("Persistence and...")

Reverse: Owl perched on a cartwheel facing. Legend: KLUGHEIT . FESSELN . DAS . GLÜCK .      Translated: ("...wisdom, are holding on happiness!")

The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged   terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and   Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart (mountain forest).

The Harz was first mentioned as Hartingowe in an 814 deed by the Carolingian King Louis the Pious.  Settlement   within the mountains began only 1000 years ago, as in  ancient times   dense forests made the region almost inaccessible. The  suffix -rode (from German: roden, to stub) denotes a place where woodland had been cleared to develop a settlement.

The year 968 saw the discovery of silver deposits   near the town of Goslar, and mines became established in the following   centuries throughout the mountains. During the Middle Ages, ore from   this region was exported along trade routes to far-flung places, such as   Mesopotamia.  The wealth of the region declined after these mines   became exhausted in  the early 19th century. People abandoned the towns   for a short time,  but prosperity eventually returned with tourism.