I was (pleasantly!) surprised to see from today's Heritage auction a Florence Florin NGCAU55 sold for $2,800 while a similar coin NGCAU58 sold a few seconds later for only $1600. It's good to see a lower graded coin sold for 75% more. To me, it signifies that there are some collectors who look beyond the slab. It also confirms to me the adage "buy the coin, not the slab." NGCAU55 NGCAU58 guy
The price difference has nothing to do with the grades; it is because the 55 coin is a different variety.
Bart, I agree with Doug. I'm currently at work but I'll try to share with you some details between the two coins and their "variety" later on. I will add ...... both examples are very very nice and very very historical !!!!
I appreciate the knowledge that is generously shared here! That said, I still don't see the difference. Both coins are listed with the same Freidberg number. As a non-coin collector, I sometimes don't appreciate the subtle variety differences. Thanks ahead of time: guy
Hee. Hee. Hee. You missed the point of the entire thread. The lower graded coin NGC AU55 sold 75% more than the higher graded NGC AU58 within a few seconds at the same auction. guy
Could be the winner of the lesser priced example wanted the pair and thought enough of that need to bid high enough for the AU coin . Who can truly say.
First thing that jumps out at me from a cursory examination is the three circles off to the right of the foot on the obverse of the first coin.
Woow. Nice pick up. Considering that this coin was minted over 150+ years, however, the difference is subtle. Does the lower graded coin deserve more than a $1000 price premium? Who knows. Of note, when one examines the pictures at the NGC certification site, the lower graded coin does look nicer. Thank, everyone, for looking. guy
It's a privy mark. With many world coins the privy marks carry as much significance as a mint mark does.
Good catch on that privy mark. I suspected there was something subtle and totally missed that. On the obverse, the clothing on the lower graded coin seems to be more defined, so I was suspecting the difference was just between dies used. But that makes a lot more sense. Sadly, many people go by the grade alone when assigning value.
What Doug said. I don't know much about foreign coins, but these two coins clearly came from different dies. Search through Heritage and you'll find very rare die marriages on say, Capped Bust Halves that will make a coin that is $100 bid in Greysheet and maybe $175 in, say, PCGS price guide sell for $15,000 or more than MS65 money for a VF30 coin
