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Stack's Bowers & Ponterio
August 2018 ANA - Sess. A, B, D  14 & 16 Aug 2018
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Lot 21583

Starting price: 1200 USD
Price realized: 3000 USD
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URUGUAY. 5 Centesimos, 1840. Montevideo Mint. NGC EF-40 BN.
6.48 gms. KM-1var.; Silvera-1.1.2; Almeida-001. EXTREMELY RARE. Thick planchet. A premium example for the designation with little actual wear and slightly rough planchet, as all are. Although the regular 5 Centesimos 1840, very elusive in any preservation, is widely recognized as one of the key types of the Uruguayan series, it is rarely acknowledged that most of the known examples are struck to a much lighter standard than the one mandated by the decree of June 20, 1839 (4 adarmes or 7.17 grams). Typical weights of those examples are 5.2 to 5.5 grams, roughly 3/4 of the legal weight. However, a handful of examples struck from a single pair of dies of a clearly finer workmanship are also known that approach the official standard. Always struck on noticeably thicker planchets, the weights of the reported coins range from 6.3 to 6.85 grams. Their single pair of dies are easily identifiable, among other characteristics, by the extra bead between the "8" numeral in the date and the rim design. Correctly catalogued as a different subtype by Almeida, this historical issue is rated as R4 (5-6 known examples) by Silvera Antunez in the 2008 thorough update of his "Monetario Clasico Uruguayo". The stricter, heavy-weight standard and single pair of dies of finer workmanship points to a limited run of early trial pieces quickly replaced by the regular issue minted on thinner planchets from slightly cruder dies after realizing that the very limited technical capabilities of the original Montevideo mint had clearly been exceeded. It is undoubtedly the first issue struck at the Montevideo mint and thus of the utmost importance to the specialist. NGC EF-40 BN.

Estimate: $2000.00- $3000.00
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