Lot 01026

GREECE. Georgios I, 1863-1913. 5 Lepta 1869 (Copper, 25 mm, 5.00 g, 6 h), pattern lacking mintmarks. Strassbourg =BB, struck from dies by Albert-Désiré Barre, plain edge. ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΣ Α! ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΤΩΝ ΕΛΛΗΝΩΝ 1869 Youthful head of George I to left; below truncation, in tiny letters, BAPPE. Rev. Laurel wreath tied below, containing OΒΟΛΟΣ / 5 / ΛΕΠΤΑ in three lines; below, large BB mintmark. Divo -. Karamitsos T.47. KM -. Graded by NGC “AU 55”. Cert number: 3935103-007.

From the Ioannis Vasilakis Collection of Supreme Quality Circulation Strikes of Georgios I.

This extremely rare type is clearly related to the presentation 5 lepta 1869 ESSAI coin but in contrary to it, all known examples are found circulated. This doesn’t nesessarily mean that they were were struck as presentation patterns that accidentally entered circulation, but most likely -and based on the obverse die break- the mintmarks were accidentally omitted by the staff of the mint of Strassbourg, from this specific working die, and until this was realized, a few examples had already been struck.

As all examples known have been heavily circulated, a coin as this one in such extraordinary condition stands above all others; this is the best example that we have seen.