OK Darkside experts, what is this coin???

MadMarty

1995 Honduras, looks to be proof, can't find it in the Krause.

cosmicdebris

There is something like it in the Krause but yours is different and has no denomination on it.

spoon

My Krause doesn't go that far.. but the denom is the "diez lempiras" around the obv.

tbirde56

Ah, but it does. Diez Lempiras = 10 Lempiras. These were 1995 dated patterns issued in Aluminum, Bronze, Brass and Copper-Nickel. I don't have any other info but if I run across it any I'll add it here.

1jester

Beautiful pattern, MadMarty! I guess you're rich now! Send it in for the obligatory AU-58 designation.

cosmicdebris

Oh well! Who knew. Now that we know what it is.

Marty please enter me in your most generous giveaway

SYRACUSIAN

The 10 lempiras denom. misled me to believe that it was gold and I was trying to locate it in Friedberg.Congratulations Brad, that wasn't an easy one. In fact I was beginning to think that it was a fantasy piece of some sort, or an unofficial issue.

tbirde56

A news report from Sept.'99.

TEGUCIGALPA -- Authorities are currently investigating whether patterns for a 10-lempira commemorative coin may have been struck by a private European mint without the official authorization of the Central Bank of Honduras.

According to a brochure titled "The Archive Collection of the International Currency Bureau Ltd., representatives of the mint met with government officials at the Central Bank in Tegucigalpa on March 17, 1995 where they "proposed the production in England of a series of legal tender coins for Honduras."

Further communications consisted of facsimile messages sent by the mint to the Central Bank in July and November 1995 "to explain the progress of the coin production."

The International Currency Bureau states that although a pair of dies were manufactured and examples struck in a variety of metals, the Central Bank "never expressed further interest" and no additional contacts were made after November 1995.

However, a government source told Honduras This Week that there is no record of any Central Bank official ever having authorized production of the patterns, nor is there a government decree to this effect.

The source added that a senior Central Bank official may have asked the mint to produce the patterns without the knowledge of the Central Bank President at that time.

A local numismatic expert said it is a common practice of some mints to manufacture limited numbers of commemorative coins for Third World countries and then sell them to world coin collectors for a substantial profit.

A total of 1,071 examples were struck, including one in platinum, four in 0.916 gold, 16 in silver (piedfort). The obverse bears the national shield of Honduras and the reserve a portrait of national hero Lempira.
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I found one other general report of mintage numbers for the tri-metal version pictured in the online article above: 'Qty: 150 milled/150 plain edge'.

tbirde56

Ebay, $17.99 each, ends tomorrow:
Copper pattern.
Brass pattern.
Aluminum pattern.

MadMarty

Then I guess the $20 for the set isn't bad! Picked them up in Honduras about 5 years ago.

cosmicdebris

I like 'em

Askari

Now you only have to acquire the silver, gold ... and platinum ... to complete your set!

NJMark1

Very nice pattern!!!! Nice ones on E bay too Brad!

Mark

cosmicdebris

I could not resist

Askari

Bill, we've long noted that where beautiful coins are involved, with you it really is true that "resistance is futile!"

cosmicdebris