We have 3 coins which "allegedly" can be in two varieties (with or without inscription). It is 1 santims 1928, 2 santimi 1922 and 5 santimi 1922. I will try show you all information in details collected during this time. First - facts, then my opinion.
Facts.
We will begin with literature and catalogs. In George S. Cuhaj & Thomas Michael's Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000 until 33th or 34th edition you could see:
KM#1
1 santims 1928 has two varieties:
a) mint name below ribbon
b) without designer's name below ribbon
KM#2
2 santimi 1922 have two varieties:
a) mint name below ribbon
b) without mint name below ribbon
KM#3
5 santimi 1922 have two varieties:
a) mint name below ribbon
b) without mint name below ribbon
From 34th or 35th edition, this description was changed:
KM#1
1 santims 1928 has two varieties:
a) mint name below ribbon
b) without mint name below ribbonKM#2
2 santimi 1922 have two varieties:
a) mint name below ribbon
b) without mint name below ribbon
KM#3
5 santimi 1922 have two varieties:
a) mint name below ribbon
b) without mint name below ribbon
What is "mint name" and "designer's name" you can see on my picture below. So, "HUGUENIN" it is a Swiss mint Huguenin Freres & Cie located Le Locle near the French border. This mint is still working. All santims of 1922, trial santims of 1923 and 1 santims of 1924 were minted here. All other coins (1924-1935) were minted in the Great Britain. So, 1 santims 1928 couldn't be with "HUGUENIN" inscription, it is impossible! Because this coin was minted absolutely on the another mint. By the way, 1 santims 1926 already was minted on the same mint without "HUGUENIN" inscription (before 1 santims 1928).
Now we take a source number two. Aleksandгs Platbāгzdis - Latvijas Nauda (1971). In this book author show to us the same 3 coins with two varieties (with inscription and without it), but author means not "HUGUENIN", he means "R. ZARRINS" or "designer's name". He is written the following:
1928 1 Santīms
13a. Bronza. Kā 10. Kaltas: 5 000 000 gab. (skaits attieсas arī uz variantu 13b).
13b. Kā 13a., bеt bez R. ZARRI.Š (sk. 3b).
Kā 10. (How #10) - it is about the coin in this book at number 10, 1 santims 1926. By the way in the description of 1 santims 1926 author told to us: "the same as 1 santims 1924, but without "HUGUENIN" inscription!
(sk. 3b) (see 3b) - is a link to the coin of 5 santimi 1922 described earlier (it is a second variety according to the author). You can see an author's opinion about this variety:
3a. Bronza. Meta autors, veidņu darinātājs un kaltuve: kā 1. Kaltas: 15 000 000 gab. (skaits attieсas arī uz variantu 3b). Pr. un m.: kā 1., bet сaurm"rs: 22 mm; svars: 3,0 g.
3b. Kā 3a., bet daļeji resp. pilnīgi bez R. ZARRI.Š (šķiet, izkaltas ar štanсi, kurā vārda grav"jums bijis aizķepis ar metalla putekļiem).
According to the author, the inscription on this coin doesn't exist because the stamp was filled with a metal dust.
About 1 santims 1928 and 5 santimi 1922 version of the author is clear. There are two varieties of each coin with the signature of "R. ZARRINS" and without it. And here is the author's version about variety of 2 santimi 1922:
2a. there is a coin description with the "R. ZARRINS" (usual 2 santimi coin)
2b. Firmas Abner Krеisberg, ASV, 29.11.1965. g. ūtrupes kаtalogā ar nr. 1652 tika piedāvāts 1 eks. bez R. ZARRI.Š kā "very rare". Tā kā šo variantu neviens krāj"js līdz šim nebija atradis un tā kā piedāvātais eks. bez tam ir "Еxtremely Fine", rodas аizdomas, ka tas, tāpat kā santimu mon"tas sudrabā un aluminija bronzā, ir izkalts peļņas nolūkā (sk. piezīmi p"с 6. apraksta).
According to the author, the coin show itself in the USA in 1965 in the catalog as a RARE. But nobody saw it before this moment, coin was about XF condition. So because of it there were thoughts, that this coin is a usual with erased inscription and the seller wants to make "easy money".
By the way, maybe someone can find this catalog or a page with this information?
Abner Krеisberg, USA, 29 Nov 1965 auction catalog #1652The author gives many information from "Valdibas Vestnesis", I spend much time in the library and there looked for these articles by dates specified in the book - found them and many other things too, many of articles are available in Internet, so it is possible to repeat my way without leaving your home. Also in this book you can find a big article with auhtor's reflections about the most mysterious Latvian coin - 2 santimi 1938. In the book there is no any word about trial 1923 coins, but in Latvian National Archive you can find some information about 1923 coins.
My opinion.
For years of searches I and my colleagues managed to get 5 santimi 1922 "allegedly" without inscription. Once on the numismatic meeting in Riga I saw "such" coins, but this coins were in not perfect condition and nobody can't tells with 100% - This is "without R.ZARRINS" variety.
Nobody for years of searching and asking can't give a proof of 1 or 2 santimi existence without inscription. Nobody didn't ever saw this coins. The only what we have - 5 santimi 1922 "allegedly" without inscription about XF quality.
So, I think this is not a variety of a stamp. This is just a strike error.
Hope you like my article.
If you want to use this information, please do not forget about me and use a link to my name and my web site - Mihail "MedveD" Božko
http://www.world-coins.weebly.com
Posted 08/03/2014 7:00 pm
