I don't particularly like keeping coins in NGC slabs. In this case I can't even imagine why the coin got slabbed in the first place. You don't need NGC to tell you that it's low grade with a test cut. RIDGID vs NGC. This felt a bit like using a sledgehammer to break a nut. But it is very fast, the coin was out in 1 minute. The advantage is that you can place the holder in the pliers and apply pressure along the periphery, while it's just 5 cm from the floor. You control the pressure and the point of the pressure so you can't run into catastrophic events like the slab breaking in the middle and the coin flying when pressing too much with a vice. The turtle happily ended up in my hand afterwards where it could enjoy some caressing ISLANDS off ATTICA, Aegina. 456/45-431 BC. AR Stater. Tortoise / Large square incuse with skew pattern. ex- Naville auction 1, 04.04.1921, lot 1634 (Pozzi collection).
I had a mild heart attack thinking that the de-slabbing caused the test cut but re-read your description and calmed down! It's well worth granting the tortoise a life of fresh air.
I can't imagine how could one fail using a pipe wrench with this type of jaws. The slab cannot slip and it cannot push itself deeper between the jaws. I strongly recommend this method.
I looked it up and can confirm that this lot was the one illustrated as Pozzi 1634 where it was graded Supurbe with mention of the test cut. Pozzi had 26 turtles in a range of styles and denominations. This was not one of the better ones but had less wear so would be preferred today over well centered coins. It brought 22 francs which was one of the lesser numbers for staters. I am not a Pozzi level collector so I only have two staters and one obol. I may have paid more for mine due to the effects of inflation.
In the Pozzi collection as recreated by Serge Boutin 1979 your coin is listed as No 3664. This book was an attempt to recreate the Pozzi Collection and showed quite a number of coins that did not show up in the Ars Classica Auction. Unfortunately only the coins from European mints were included in this volume. Over the last few years I have been working on creating a representative group of coins from Aegina. This is the one that I have that is closest to the one you have just liberated. (Good Job) Aegina Ar Stater 445/4-430 BC Obv Tortoise seen from above. Rv Skew pattern Anepigraphic 12.27 grms 18mm Photo by w. Hansen What impresses me about these coins are the incredible relief as well as the thickness of the flans. These must have rather difficult to produce.
Some beautiful examples here. @Terence Cheesman, that is just an absolutely stunning coin, I can't imagine there could be any better! Here's my contribution, with 'head in profile'. I have it listed as Pozzi 1635 but that's just a cut and paste.
Pozzi 1635 has similar centering but has different edge cracks including a large one left of the turtle. I consider the Nemo coin exceptional due to the sharp claws and a bit more head compared to the Pozzi coin. The catalog gives the 'poids' as 12.36. How much is yours? The Pozzi coin realized 190 francs making it the second most expensive of his Aegina set. The Nemo coin strikes me as much better. Obviously I am missing the feature that made Pozzi 1635 go high. I would prefer 1636 which has full head on flan. I guess 'head in profile' helps even if the head is part missing?
My coin has a poids of 12.40. I have never seen the Pozzi plate coin, but yes, the 'head in profile' is a very rare transitional type from the 'head in profile' sea turtle to the 'shown from above' land tortoise. In hand, a bit more of the head is visible on my coin, as it curves around the flan.
