Greece 1876-A 50 drachmai
This specimen was lot 2027 in Sincona sale 25 (Zürich, October 2015), where it sold for 20,000 CHF (about US$24,705 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"Georg I. 1863-1913 50 Drachms 1876. A, Paris Head to r. over date, underneath the signature of the die cutter Bappe (Barre). Rev. Arms on crowned mantle. Very rare, only 182 specimens minted. Extremely fine. Min. edge fault. Tiny scratches."
This one-year type was struck in Paris for king George I (1863-1913) to the standard of a French fifty francs. Greece, poor, backward, corrupt and riven by feuds, could ill afford a substantial gold coinage and this is the only issue.
Recorded mintage: 182.
Specification: 16.12 g, 0.900 fine gold, this specimen 16.12 g.
Catalog reference: Divo 45. Schl. 5. Fr-14, KM 50.
- Jean-Paul Divo, Modern Greek Coins, 1828-1968. Amsterdam: Jacques Schulman NV, 1968.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, Ruedi Kunzmann and Arne Kirsch, Numismatic Rarities, Auction 25, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2015.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
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