Greece 1884-A 20 drachmai

Heritage sale 3010, lot 21272

photo courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries

UBS sale 85, lot 843

The first specimen was lot 21272 in Heritage sale 3010 (Boston, August 2010), where it sold for $1,840. The catalog description^[1] noted, "George I gold 20 Drachmai 1884A, MS64 NGC, superb mint brilliance and truly rare in this lofty designation." The second specimen was lot 843 in UBS sale 85 (Zürich, September 2010), where it did not sell. The catalog description^[1] noted,

"GRIECHENLAND, Georg I. 1863-1913, 20 Drachmen 1884, Paris. Fast vorzüglich-vorzüglich." (Greece, George I, 1863-1913, 20 drachmai of 1884, Paris mint, nice extremely fine.)

This one-year type was struck in Paris for king George I (1863-1913) to the standard of a French 20 francs. Greece, poor, backward, corrupt and riven by feuds, could ill afford a substantial gold coinage and this is the only issue that is common. Proofs are reported to exist.

Recorded mintage: 550,000.

Specification: 6.45 g, 0.900 fine gold, .186 troy oz AGW.

Catalog reference: Divo 47, Fr-19, KM 56.

Source:

• 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.
• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• ^[1]Tucker, Warren, Scott Cordry and John Kraljevich, Heritage Sale 3010: World Coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2010.

Link to:

• 1876-A 20 drachmai
• 1876-A silver 5 drachmai
• 1876-A gold 5 drachmai
• Greece 1876-A 50 drachmai
• Greece 1882-A 10 lepta
• 1883 drachma
• Greece (1940) 20 drachmai
• Coins and currency dated 1884
• return to coins of Greece