Greece 1833 20 drachmai
This specimen was lot 838 in UBS sale 85 (Zürich, September 2010), where it sold for 2,500 CHF (about US$2,852 including buyer's fee). The catalog description[1] noted,
"GRIECHENLAND, Otto, 1831-1863, 20 Drachmen 1833. Fast vorzüglich-vorzüglich." (kingdom of Greece, Otto, 1831-63, 20 drachmas of 1833. Good Extremely Fine.)
This rare and expensive gold coin was accompanied by silver quarter, half, one and five drachmas coins. This writer does not know why the coin is lighter than the 6.45 g standard set by the French twenty francs and followed by later Greek issues. Greece, poor, backward, corrupt and riven by feuds, could ill afford a substantial gold coinage. King Otto fell foul of the local politicians and was forced to abdicate in 1863.
Recorded mintage: 18,000.
Specification: 5.77 g, 0.900 fine gold, this specimen 5,77 g.
Catalog reference: Divo 9, Schl. 1, Fr-10, KM 21.
- Jean-Paul Divo, Modern Greek Coins, 1828-1968. Amsterdam: Jacques Schulman NV, 1968.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]UBS Auction 85: Gold and Silver Coins, Zürich: UBS AG, 2010.
Link to: