Owner Comments:
The 1327/4 20 Para has a similar mintage to the 1327/3, but like the rest of the coins in this series, it is quite difficult to locate in any Mint State grade, let alone in MS 65. Appearance-wise, the strike is razor sharp, but the luster is a return to the icy flash found on the 1327/2 issue rather than the warm glow found on the 1327/3.
Year of Issue-1912 Mintage 10,848,000
This coin has an added personal significance as well. While my collection contains many coins, this coin is arguably the most important because without it, this collection probably wouldn't be here because I would likely no longer be collecting coins. Around 2009, I was having a serious crisis with numismatics. I was coming off of a lot of failed projects, mostly US coins collected in the traditional series formats, and my hobby had stopped being fun. I was very close to giving up or at least taking a break. My second wave of collecting almost ended.
Enter my life partner. She saw what was going on with me, right around the time she became interested in collecting herself and it bothered her. I can understand. It can't be fun to watch someone you love losing their passion and interest for something they have loved for so long. And I'm sure I wasn't that much fun to be around during this time either. It was a very depressing time for me.
Then one day, she gave me a gift......this coin. She had given me Ottoman coins for gifts before and I had purchased a few myself when I had the opportunities to buy them. But something about this little nickel 20 para.....it's such a beautiful little coin! I immediately found myself interested again. I abandoned the US projects that weren't making me happy and pursued world coins, mostly Ottoman and German, for the next few years. I managed to acquire some amazing pieces over that time, and my love for collecting came roaring back. It was even more fun than ever before because I had a collecting partner. It was such a new thing to have someone to share the hobby with, and it added to the experience immensely. I've since decided to narrow my focus once more and dedicate my collecting activities to specializing in these gorgeous Nickel coins.