Set Description
The name of this set comes from the story of the 1883 "No Cents," Liberty "V" Nickel - which people plated with gold to make it look like a $5 gold piece because it was about the same size and didn't say "cents." I got such a laugh from that story in my 20s when I first read about it.
The origins of this set lie in my 10G set around 2009. In shopping around and deciding to build that set I became increasingly aware that, in the late 19th and early 20th century - around the same time as the release of the No Cents nickel - many countries in the world had circulating gold coins that were about the size of a US nickel that contained about 0.187 to 0.24 toz of gold.
This really seized my imagination, thinking about the historical link of most currencies to gold, and, through gold, to each other and the idea of coins from different counties circulating together and exchanging based on the gold weight. In some cases the coins from different countries were perfectly interchangeable because of things like the Latin Monetary Union.
I got really excited about trying to collect these because, unlike gold dollars, they're big enough - they aren't teeny-tiny - but they are also small enough to be gold coins I could reasonably afford and collect. And many / most are common enough to get in mint state for near melt.
I've chosen to focus on European countries for now, but I won't rule out adding more North American, Central American or South American countries down the road.
Set Goals
Build a set of Late 19th & Early 20th century gold coins that are roughly the same size as a US nickel in diameter (about 20-21 mm) and containing about 0.18-0.24 ozt in agw. The date range I'm considering for inclusion in this set ranges from about 1875 to 1916. I'm wanting to focus more on the Pre-WWI / Pre-"Great War" period, because I feel like that was an event that really changed the game going forward for a lot of countries - though I suppose you could also draw the line at the Great Depression starting / the end of the "Roaring 20s."
I want this set to be composed of coins struck for circulation, and not later "re-strikes" or coins that were struck mostly as collectables or as bullion issues.
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
|
View Coin
| Italian 20 Lire |
ITALY
|
G20L 1882R
|
NGC MS 64
|
Obverse:
Head of King Umberto I facing left with the date below the neck and the name of the engraver in the neck-cut. The legend says "Umberto I Re D'Italia" ("Umberto I King of Italy") with the date at the bottom.
Reverse:
Savoia crowned coat of arms decorated with the Collare dell'Annunziata and the value at both sides, all encircled by a wreath made by 2 branches - one of laurel and one of oak. The Star of Italy is above the crowned shield at the top of the design, The Mintmark ("R") is below the wreath, on the right of the centerline of the design.
Engraver (both sides): Filippo Speranza
Composition: Gold (.900)
Weight: 6.45 g
Diameter: 21.5 mm
Thickness: 1.3 mm
Coin Alignment ↑↓
Demonetized
KM#21
AGW: 0.1867 ozt
I got to purchase this coin and a Prussian 20 Mark coin - one right after the other - in early 2021, after getting some good news on bonuses and tax refunds for the year.
|
|
|
View Coin
| Dutch 10 Gulden |
NETHERLANDS 1817 TO DATE
|
10G 1888 Netherland
|
NGC MS 65
|
Mintage: 35,585
This coin was the 6th purchased for the set, acquired on February 12, 2018 (arrived in the mail on the 16th). Getting this coin was a major event for the set in several ways.
It is the Key date of the series with the lowest mintage -barely over 35,000 made that year. It also has the lowest population of NGC graded coins. And, just my fantastic luck, when one of these comes up for sale, it happens to be an MS65 - the grade I made the goal for the set, and the 2nd highest grade available. There's only one NGC graded MS66 out there at this time.
This is also the coin that put my set "over the hump," making it over 50% complete - a big milestone for a set that I thought might never get past having just the 5 common date coins back when I started building it.
This was the first coin bought for this set after a long, hard, period of unemployment. I'm not going to belabor the point here, but, going a year without a job is a hard thing to endure, especially early in your career. Even if the cause of it is market conditions and a major downturn in your industry, it isn't fun. I spent a lot of time during that period dreaming about getting the job, feeling good about our finances and the direction of our lives again. Continuing my collecting in general and getting to add a new coin to this set in particular was a big part of that hope.
In early February 2018, just four and a half months after securing a new job that I love, that treats me and my family well, and which leaves me much more happy and fulfilled than the last two jobs, this coin popped up for auction, starting at just $400 - a very reasonable price. I had to do a bit of pleading, but my wife agreed to let me go for it. If it was anything else I think she would have balked but even she said later that she knew from how I talked about it that this set was important to me and that this coin was important to this set, so she wanted to let me go for it.
I watched if for days - it was a 5-day listing. That was torture.
With just 2 minutes left I was winning the coin for $493 + shipping as the final sections counted down. My wife was sitting right next to me in bed. I think both of us were afraid to breathe. I was sure a last second sniper bid was coming, and I was so afraid that after all this watching and waiting that I was going to lose the auction and the coin. That feared bid never came. I won the coin for a total cost of $500 after shipping.
After the auction closed, I was pretty much bouncing off the walls. My wife joked that she thinks I was much more excited in that moment than when I found out she was pregnant with our son.
Last Rev: 09/2019
|
|
|
View Coin
| French "Angel" 20 Franc |
FRANCE - PART 5
|
G20F 1886A
|
NGC MS 64
|
Composition: Gold (.900)
Weight: 6.451 g
Diameter: 21 mm
Thickness: 1.3 mm
Coin Alignment ↑↓
Milled
Demonetized 25 Jun 1928
KM#825
AGW: 0.1867 oz AGW
Obverse:
The obverse features a standing “Winged Genius” – a symbolic figure from the enlightenment - writing on the Constitution. There’s also a Rooster to his right, which is a symbol of the French people and state. A fasces, an ancient Italian symbol of power and legal authority that has come to be a representation of magisterial or collective power. is at the figure’s left. You’ll also see fasces on the reverse of an American Mercury Dime. The legend reads “République Française” and the name of the engraver, “Dupre” is at the bottom.
Reverse:
The Reverse features the denomination above the year of issue within an oak wreath. The legend reads “Liberté Égalité Fraternité.” The mint mark – an A (Paris) – is at the bottom. The marks on either side of the A are marks for the mint master and / or coin engraver for the coin / die in question.
Embossed writing on the edge reads “Dieu Protégé La France” (“God Protect France”).
Engraver (Obverse): Augustin Dupré
Engraver (Reverse): Henri-Auguste Patey
I picked this up as a nice type coin as I really wanted a nice example of one of these in my collection. I managed to pick up a nice MS64 for a good price - A high enough grade to help ensure a solid coin without too many marks, but low enough that the price still wasn't too high above melt.
|
|
|
View Coin
| French "Rooster" 20 Franc |
FRANCE - PART 5
|
G20F 1913
|
NGC MS 64
|
Composition: Gold (.900)
Weight: 6.451 g
Diameter: 21 mm
Thickness: 1.25 mm
Coin Alignment ↑↓
Milled
Demonetized 25 Jun 1928
KM#857
AGW: 0.1867 oz AGW
Obverse:
A Left-facing, right profile of Marianne wearing the Phrygian cap and a crown of oak branches. The Legend reads “Republique Francaise” and the name of the engraver (JC Chaplain) is in small text near Marianne’s neck.
Reverse:
The reverse features a rooster with a swollen bust walking to the left on a ground line decorated with grass and flowers, surrounded by the French motto (“Liberté Égalité Fraternité”). The denomination also shows the denomination with the “20” to the left of the rooster and the “Fcs” for Francs to the right of the bird. The date is at the bottom, below the ground line, with the mint mark for the Paris mint and the mark for the General Coin Engraver at the mint from 1896-1930, Henri-Auguste-Jules Patey.
The edge also features the French motto in embossed lettering.
Engraver (Both Sides): Jules-Clément Chaplain
I picked this coin up in early 2018 as part of a growing interest in pre-WWI, late-19th and early 20th century European gold coins, beyond the Netherlands 10G set I've been working on since 2009. This coin was made in the last year before the start of WWI and 1914 - the start of the war, was the last year this design was issued.
|
|
|
View Coin
| Swiss 20 Franc |
SWITZERLAND CONFEDERATION
|
G20F 1913B Switzerlnd
|
NGC MS 65
|
Composition: Gold (.900)
Weight: 6.45 g
Diameter: 21.0 mm
Thickness: 1.25 mm
Coin Alignment ↑↓
Milled
KM#35.1
AGW: 0.1867 oz
Swiss gold coins were never officially demonetized, but in 1936, the franc was devalued against gold, so their bullion value became higher than their face value. Then in 1944, they became subject to turnover tax, which some consider a de facto demonetization.
Obverse:
Bust of a young woman from Oberhasli facing left, with tresses and a garland of edelweiss. Mountains in the background wit the word “Helvetia” at the top. Helvetia is the national personification of Switzerland, which is officially “Confoederatio Helvetica (“The Swiss Confederation”). Designed by Fritz Ulysse Landry.
Reverse:
Coat of arms of Switzerland with oak (Quercus robur) branches with acorns and ribbons behind it. It has the denomination (20 and FR) to either side of it and the date is below with the mint mark (“B”, for the Bern mint) next to it. The reverse is also designed by Fritz Ulysse Landry.
The edge is embossed with 22 stars in 3 groups – two of seven and one of eight.
|
|
|
View Coin
| Prussian 20 Marks |
GERMANY - STATES 3
|
20M 1913A PRUSSIA
|
NGC MS 62
|
Composition: Gold (.900)
Weight: 7.965 g
Diameter: 22.5 mm
Thickness: 1.0 mm
Medal Alignment ↑↑
Milled
Demonetized 16 August 1938
KM#521
AGW: 0.2305 oz
Obverse:
Uncrowned portrait of Wilhelm II, facing right. The legend reads “WILHELM II DEUTSCHER KAISER KÖNIG V. PREUSSEN” (“Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia”)
Reverse:
German Eagle with the denomination at the bottom. The legend reads “DEUTSCHES REICH” (“German Empire”).
Inscribed Edge Lettering: "GOTT MIT UNS" ("God With US")
I got to purchase this coin and an 1882 Italian 20 Lire coin - one right after the other - in early 2021, after getting some good news on bonuses and tax refunds for the year.
|
|
|
View Coin
| British Sovereign |
GREAT BRITAIN 1902-70
|
1SOV 1915 G.britain
|
NGC MS 63
|
Composition: Gold (.9167)
Weight: 7.99 g
Diameter: 22.05 mm
Thickness: 1.52 mm
Medal Alignment ↑↑
Milled
KM#820
AGW: 0.2354 oz AGW
Obverse:
Uncrowned portrait of King George V left, legend around him saying “Georgivs V D.G.BRITT:OMN:REX F.D.IND:IMP:”, which feels like an extremely complicated, shorthand for “George the Fifth, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britains, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.” The engraver was Edgar Bertram MacKennal.
Reverse:
St George riding a horse, wearing a helmet and cape, holding a sword in his right hand, the reigns of the horse in his left, slaying a dragon below him with a ground line. The date is below the ground line. Where there are mint marks, the mint mark is in the middle of the ground line. C is for Ottawa in Canada. I is for the Mumbai mint in India. M is for the Melbourne mint in Australia. A P indicates the Perth min and S indicates the Sydney mint. SA is for the Pretoria min in South Africa. Because the sun apparently never set on the British Empire or the Royal Mint. The Designer for the reverse was Benedetto Pistrucci.
I bought this coin as my first gold sovereign, as part of a continuing effort to build a type set of some world gold coins from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mostly pre-WWI.
|
|
|
View Coin
| Danish 20 Kroner |
DENMARK 1873 TO DATE
|
20K 1916 VBP AH
|
NGC MS 64
|
|
|
|
View Coin
| Venezuelan 20 Bolivares |
VENEZUELA
|
G20B 1911
|
NGC MS 64
|
|
|
 | Loading… |
|
|