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Weiss
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This is the absolute finest piece I selected from a collection of over 1,000 world crowns and nearly as many minors spanning roughly 200 years assembled between the late 1940s and 1970, which remained untouched for nearly 30 years.
She is an 1862 C (Calcutta) British India Rupee, S&W 4.51 Type F/7, 0/0 Crescent and V, bust type "A". Freshly graded 02-02-16 by NGC as Mint State 65.
The 1862 Calcutta Rupee was actually minted for over 10 years, all bearing the 1862 date. NGC counts an amazing 34 different varieties of 1862 rupees, which combined had a staggering mintage of over 300,000,000 pieces. Despite that vast quantity and variety, NGC has certified only 12 pieces in Gem Mint State 65 and not a single example has ever graded higher. She's not one in a million, she's one in 25 million.
As the pictures indicate, she has the look of a matte proof. Vast fields of powdery frost appear first as stainless steel, then bright white ivory, and then back to chrome. Out of direct light she instantly turns to black & white cameo.
Every hair in her braid is distinct. Every bead on her necklace, every petal on every flower on her dress. The reverse is a mesmerizing maze of vines and flowers, with the faintest ghost of Victoria's bust clashed behind them all.
Auctions of pieces like this are understandably few and far between. Heritage sold an NGC MS65 Bombay mint piece in January of 2012 for $575. That piece exhibits more and deeper contact marks on Victoria's nose and cheek than this example, and the fields on the reverse of that coin exhibit numerous contact marks and frost breaks, giving that coin the appearance of a full grade below this piece.
As you can tell, I'm as reluctant to part with her as you will be if she becomes yours.
Asking $900.
She is an 1862 C (Calcutta) British India Rupee, S&W 4.51 Type F/7, 0/0 Crescent and V, bust type "A". Freshly graded 02-02-16 by NGC as Mint State 65.
The 1862 Calcutta Rupee was actually minted for over 10 years, all bearing the 1862 date. NGC counts an amazing 34 different varieties of 1862 rupees, which combined had a staggering mintage of over 300,000,000 pieces. Despite that vast quantity and variety, NGC has certified only 12 pieces in Gem Mint State 65 and not a single example has ever graded higher. She's not one in a million, she's one in 25 million.
As the pictures indicate, she has the look of a matte proof. Vast fields of powdery frost appear first as stainless steel, then bright white ivory, and then back to chrome. Out of direct light she instantly turns to black & white cameo.
Every hair in her braid is distinct. Every bead on her necklace, every petal on every flower on her dress. The reverse is a mesmerizing maze of vines and flowers, with the faintest ghost of Victoria's bust clashed behind them all.
Auctions of pieces like this are understandably few and far between. Heritage sold an NGC MS65 Bombay mint piece in January of 2012 for $575. That piece exhibits more and deeper contact marks on Victoria's nose and cheek than this example, and the fields on the reverse of that coin exhibit numerous contact marks and frost breaks, giving that coin the appearance of a full grade below this piece.
As you can tell, I'm as reluctant to part with her as you will be if she becomes yours.
Asking $900.
We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last.
--Severian the Lame
--Severian the Lame
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