Latvia 1923 5 santimi
This specimen was lot 41114 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Costa Mesa, CA, August 2021), where it sold for $7,200. The catalog description[1] noted, "LATVIA. 5 Santimi, 1923. Le Locle (Huguenin) Mint. PCGS SPECIMEN-65 Red Brown Gold Shield. Mintage: 2 (reported). Sharply struck with light mottled toning, this represents an incredible opportunity for an undoubtedly RARE coin, and one that verges upon UNIQUE status. The only other recent sales record for the type, presumably the other piece from the dual emission--an NGC MS-64--selling in January 2017 for a total of $6,240." Latvia's independence was snuffed out by Russian (then Nazi) occupation in 1940. Independence was not reclaimed until 1991. The 1922 five santimi is common. We don't know why dies would be prepared for 1923 and then only two pieces made.
Recorded mintage: 2.
Specification: 3 g, bronze, 22 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM-3.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The August 2021 ANA sale: World and Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
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