Grades and crackouts with (good old) Phil's photos #1

SYRACUSIAN

The following, is the first part of a big submission to NGC, long overdue.

These 1954-57-59 coins have become rare in choice/gem unc, so slabbing them became inevitable.
Unfortunately Phil missed these, the only photo I have is of a later year,also submitted, but they all look the same.




1954 GREECE 5L NGC MS66
1954 GREECE 10L NGC MS64
1954 GREECE 20L NGC MS63
1954 GREECE 50L NGC MS63
1954 GREECE 1D NGC MS65
1954 GREECE 2D NGC MS65

1957 GREECE 50L NGC MS65
1957 GREECE 1D NGC MS64
1957 GREECE 2D NGC MS64

1959 GREECE 10L NGC MS66
1959 GREECE 20L NGC MS66
1959 GREECE 50L NGC MS65
1959 GREECE 1D NGC MS65
1959 GREECE 2D NGC MS64
1959 GREECE 10D NGC MS66



A couple of gold coins from Cyprus from 1966, 1/2 and 1 lira or erroneously called sovereigns in Krause

both NGC MS66, I was expecting a PF grade here, as I saw them in Steinberg's, they do not exist in two types of strike






And there were some crackouts, coins that were in Anacs holders, submitted a long time ago,
and that I suspected they could go higher with NGC.
Only a small part is already back, including the most important coin of the submission:

1846 GREECE 1 lepton NGC MS64BN (cracked out from an Anacs AU50! )
one of the most sought after rarities of 19th century Greece.






Also:

1901 CRETE 2D NGC AU50 (cracked out from an Anacs AU details/cleaned net AU50),



I figured that the cleaning was extremely light and almost undetectable, so I gave it a shot.
Phil's photo shows the old light cleaning that has since retoned , the coin actually looks better in hand,
and the colour is the same on both sides, the result here must be of different lightning.

1901 CRETE 5D NGC AU55 ,(cracked out from an Anacs AU55)



a totally accurate grade, but I've seen so many overgraded NGC 55 fivers from Crete, that I gave it a shot too.
Someone should have told me that NGC hired new stricter graders!

CoinAddict

Very nice submission, Dimitri. Those are some very nice coins. Thanks for sharing them.

DorkGirl

WOW, thanks for sharing

spinaker2000

Nice stuff there Dimitri, I mean "Heavy D".

JZrarities

Absolutely stunning.

BTW: I'm in love with your 1-Phoenix in your Sig line.

SYRACUSIAN

Thank you JZrarities, it's an NGC MS62.

Here's one more coin that was in the submission, another crackout from an ANACS AU50 holder.




I really expected this to go MS, and so did another member known for his grading skills, but it came back as an AU55.
Although wear cannot be easily detected, due to the dark and attractive toning, the grade is correct.
I can only tell by looking at the mustache under 10x .Many hairs are missing, so this is not a nice, manly, uncirculated mustache.

MacCrimmon

Yummmm! Love that Cyprus gold. It's not surprising that they don't know they're a 'proof-only' striking as you mentioned. NGC frequently also bobbles Swiss specimens as MS.....and, they are usually at least a point more generous in grading Swiss silver.....but, I can't speak to other issues.....

I'm sending them a big shipment today, BTW.....stay tuned.

Dimitri, what kind of premiums to Krause do those 1950-60s Greek coins command, at least in those gem grades? Very nice...

oldshep

Dimitri - You must have one of the best collections of Greek coins in the world. Those are beautiful coins!!
Too bad we all can't have Phil come and photo our coins, he sure does a good job.

Shep

SYRACUSIAN

Dimitri, what kind of premiums to Krause do those 1950-60s Greek coins command, at least in those gem grades?




Mac, I don't think I'm the right person to ask this, maybe our own JJ will soon venture into these coins as he has very successfully done with later Greek dates so far. However, I can tell you that a 1959 2D in MS64/65 could be sold for even 50% or more than a similarly graded 1868 drachma! (it's impolite to state numbers, check your Krause ) I remember that even in my first days of collecting, gem mint state Pavlos (the name of the monarch) was more difficult to locate than a choice unc George 1 drachma ,almost 100 years older. Weird but true.

Yummmm! Love that Cyprus gold. It's not surprising that they don't know they're a 'proof-only' striking as you mentioned.


It's Archbishop Macarios with the byzantine double eagle on the reverse, he was President of Cyprus for many years, but it always looks strange to see an orthodox priest on a coin. I can't really say that these are proofs, but if they are something, they're closer to proofs than business strikes. So, NGC shouldn't make distinctions, it's either PF, SP or MS for all I think.



Dimitri - You must have one of the best collections of Greek coins in the world. Those are beautiful coins!!Too bad we all can't have Phil come and photo our coins, he sure does a good job.




Shep,thanks but that's really an overstatement, believe me there are way bigger and better collections than mine, both sides of the Atlantic. I recently received an invitation to see one of the best modern Greek collections assembled over more than 20 years, by a very knowledgeable, friendly and educated US collector. Me, I have long decided to abandon my previous pompous plans and to concentrate on the smallest possible number of coins, and only the truly rare or eye pleasing ones.A much slower ,more enjoyable and easy going process.

I wish I had learned to take digital photos myself,at least the average quality of this forum, that is very high, but for some reason it hasn't clicked to me yet. So, I can't wait to get Phil's new address and send him a batch of new (raw! colorful! gems!) coins that I just bought. In the meantime, submissions of older coins and their new grades with photos, are a fun way to share my collection here.

lordmarcovan

<< <i>1846 GREECE 1 lepton NGC MS64BN (cracked out from an Anacs AU50! )
one of the most sought after rarities of 19th century Greece.

>>



Awesome coin, and a great upgrade!






Please tell me you've gotten my package, now...!