1876 Greek gold set
SYRACUSIAN
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Greece is not a gold-producing country and its economics have always been a problem to the various monarchs and administrations.
As a result, there are very few gold coins that were minted for circulation purposes (transactions were mostly done with foreign gold);
these include the 1833 gold 20drs (King Otto) , the 1876 gold set (to the Latin Union standards by King George I) and the 1884A 20 drs gold, the only gold coin ever to reach a 6 digit mintage .
Some trial strikes, patterns etc. also took place during that period .
This is the 1876 gold set, illustrated from my personal collection:
minted in Paris (A mintmark) , engraved by A.D. Barre (chief engraver of Paris,Strasbourg and Bordeaux mints).
All coins have a small to very small mintage (from 76 to 37000) and an even smaller survival rate,due to the fact that they were legal-tender in all LU member-countries.
The name of the engraver is on the obverse of the coins (truncation) , spelled as BAPPE (since P=R in Greek).
5 drs (drachmai) gold, .0467 oz AGW, 1.61 gr, 0.900 fineness,17 mm, mintage 9294 , KM 47, PCGS MS63
King George I, obverse young head to right ,legend, date and mintmark , reverse value encircled by floral emblem,
a design almost identical to the French gold 5 francs of Napoleon III :
10 drs gold, .0933 oz AGW. 3.22 gr, 0.900 fineness,19 mm,mintage 18959,KM 48, PCGS MS62
design similar to 5 drs (orizontal hairlines on the holder)
20 drs gold, .1867 oz AGW, 6.45 gr, 0.900 fineness,21 mm, mintage 37362,KM 49, ANACS AU55
obverse as above, reverse Greek coat of arms, legend and value.
Although the coin with the bigger mintage of the series, it is the most difficult to locate in mint state condition.
Nothing's missing under the date (obv); just poor scanning.
These three conclude the small values.
The two bigger values (50 drs, 100 drs) have been minted in very small numbers,
and the new aged portrait of the King (always by Barre) appears on the obverse.
I'm still waiting for the 100drs (size+weight of a double-eagle), but at least I've managed to locate a superb 50 drs
50 drs gold, .4667 oz AGW, 16.13 gr, 0.900 fineness,28 mm, mintage 182,KM 50, NGC AU58
obverse King George old head to right,legend ,date and mintmark, reverse Greek coat of arms,legend and value.
The little anchor on the reverse, is the chief engraver's (Barre) privy mintmark,
and the bee is the privy mintmark of R.de Bussiere, director of the Paris mint at the time.
As a result, there are very few gold coins that were minted for circulation purposes (transactions were mostly done with foreign gold);
these include the 1833 gold 20drs (King Otto) , the 1876 gold set (to the Latin Union standards by King George I) and the 1884A 20 drs gold, the only gold coin ever to reach a 6 digit mintage .
Some trial strikes, patterns etc. also took place during that period .
This is the 1876 gold set, illustrated from my personal collection:
minted in Paris (A mintmark) , engraved by A.D. Barre (chief engraver of Paris,Strasbourg and Bordeaux mints).
All coins have a small to very small mintage (from 76 to 37000) and an even smaller survival rate,due to the fact that they were legal-tender in all LU member-countries.
The name of the engraver is on the obverse of the coins (truncation) , spelled as BAPPE (since P=R in Greek).
5 drs (drachmai) gold, .0467 oz AGW, 1.61 gr, 0.900 fineness,17 mm, mintage 9294 , KM 47, PCGS MS63
King George I, obverse young head to right ,legend, date and mintmark , reverse value encircled by floral emblem,
a design almost identical to the French gold 5 francs of Napoleon III :
10 drs gold, .0933 oz AGW. 3.22 gr, 0.900 fineness,19 mm,mintage 18959,KM 48, PCGS MS62
design similar to 5 drs (orizontal hairlines on the holder)
20 drs gold, .1867 oz AGW, 6.45 gr, 0.900 fineness,21 mm, mintage 37362,KM 49, ANACS AU55
obverse as above, reverse Greek coat of arms, legend and value.
Although the coin with the bigger mintage of the series, it is the most difficult to locate in mint state condition.
Nothing's missing under the date (obv); just poor scanning.
These three conclude the small values.
The two bigger values (50 drs, 100 drs) have been minted in very small numbers,
and the new aged portrait of the King (always by Barre) appears on the obverse.
I'm still waiting for the 100drs (size+weight of a double-eagle), but at least I've managed to locate a superb 50 drs
50 drs gold, .4667 oz AGW, 16.13 gr, 0.900 fineness,28 mm, mintage 182,KM 50, NGC AU58
obverse King George old head to right,legend ,date and mintmark, reverse Greek coat of arms,legend and value.
The little anchor on the reverse, is the chief engraver's (Barre) privy mintmark,
and the bee is the privy mintmark of R.de Bussiere, director of the Paris mint at the time.
0
Comments
1-Dammit Boy Oct 14,2003
International Coins
"A work in progress"
Wayne
eBay registered name:
Hard_ Search (buyer/bidder, a small time seller)
e-mail: wayne.whatley@gmail.com
Only 76 pieces for the 100 drs?! Good luck on that. How many other folks are there with such complete modern Greek collections? I imagine not many?
My wantlist & references
09/07/2006
FOR SALE Items
Greece then it would all have to be brought in. The large gold and silver finds in the U.S. produced tons of gold and sliver coins from the mid
1800s into the early 1900s, much of it lanquished in valuts for decades, and much of it was melted for bullion value.
I'm sure that happened in Greece as well.
Again nice, thanks for sharing.
Glenn
I understand, that also in that thread one of them is for giveaway?
is that you end up being governed by inferiors. – Plato
<< <i>How many other folks are there with such complete Greek collections? I imagine not many? >>
Spoon, thanks for the compliment , but quite frankly, my collection is far from being complete. This is my third try to put it together; I've focused on quality, having experienced a bitter taste from selling lower grade coins at less than half of their buyprice,and I'm trying to use my previous experience (mainly mistakes) on grading and choosing the coins. I believe I'm 60-65% , but the rest is all tough dates, most of which virtually impossible in unc.I just wasn't around when these coins were more easy to locate
As for people with really amazing collections,there are certainly more than I'd have imagined, some of them in the States who won't hesitate to jump on the plane and outbid us all ,everytime a true rarity shows up.
<< <i>much of it lanquished in vaults for decades, and much of it was melted for bullion value.I'm sure that happened in Greece as well. >>
It certainly did Glenn, but I think that the gold was imported .To my knowledge, the only place in Greece where gold has been detected, remains unexploited until now,due to the huge cost and uncertain results.
<< <i>The strike on the 20drs is a beauty.How difficult are these coins in the superior condition they are in? >>
All of them are rare in this condition and the 50drs is RR with tendency to RRR.
As a matter of fact I see many more 100 drs offered (maybe way too many for a 76 mintage) than 50s.
I also agree that this 20 drs is a very eye-appealing coin.
I forgot to mention that all the above coins (as with 90%+ of my coins) have been bought raw and submitted later.
This particular 20 drs is a second purchase, because I already had one in PCGS AU58. I've paid more than twice the amount of the 58 for the one shown above,because it was a much nicer coin. I think it deserved a 58,while the other is way overgraded .
<< <i>Good luck on the 100 drs >>
Thanks trozau; I'm not sure that it's a question of luck though
myEbay
DPOTD 3
Shep
Nice set of gold!
I shudder to think of what that 50 dr piece set you back.
Chuck
Obscurum per obscurius
Come on over ... to The Dark Side!