Lot 3163
Argentina - Tierra del Fuego. Gold 5 Gramos, 1889. Fr-1; KM-Tn2. Denomination over gold pan. Reverse: Gold pan with nuggets; on top, crossed pickaxe and sledge hammer with name "POPPER" on centered tablature. On the obverse, in minuscule letters at the bottom of the gold pan and within the nuggets, are the fineness and weight. This is quite distinct on this variety, actually minted in Buenos Aires. Lustrous, Extremely Fine to About Uncirculated. Very rare.
The cataloguer (PFR) has chosen to retain the proper numismatic defining characteristics of an obverse and reverse: that of lower anvil die (obverse, with natural convexity imparted in the striking procedure) and upper hammer die (reverse, with natural concavity). On this Gramo coin, a cruder issue minted on the southerly tip of South America on the island of Tierra del Fuego itself, it is readily apparent to see the opposition of die positions as to the Buenos Aires issues, which were likely struck later.
Estimated Value $1,500 - 2,000.
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| Realized $3,450 |
