"Then the object is a coin?" I said.

"I do not know if it is a coin or not," said the man.

"What else could it be?" I asked.

"It could be many things," he said. "It might be a token or a medal. It might be an emblem of membership in an organization or a device whereby a given personage might be recognized by another. It might be a piece of art intended to be mounted in jewelry. It might even be a piece in some game."

"Can you identify it?" I asked.

"No," he said.

The object was about an inch and a half in diameter and about three eighths of an inch in thickness. It was yellowish, and, to me, surprisingly heavy for its size.

"What about the letter on one side?" I asked.

"It may not be a letter," be said. "It may be only a design." It seemed a single, strong, well-defined character. "If it is a letter," he said, "it is not from an alphabet with which I am familiar."

"There is an eagle on the other side," I said, helpfully.

"Is there?" he asked. He turned the coin on the felt, touching it carefully with the cotton gloves.

I looked at the bird more closely.

"It is not an eagle," be said. "It has a crest."

"What sort of bird is it?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Perhaps it is a bird from some mythology," be said, "perhaps a mere artist's whimsy."

I looked at the fierce head on the surface of the yellowish object.

It frightened me.

"It does not appear to be a whimsy," I said.

"No," be smiled. "It doesn't, does it?"

"Have you ever seen anything like this before?" I asked.

"No," He said, "aside, of course, from its obvious resemblance to ancient coins."