Muchas gracias, Julio, for the so prompt, friendly & complete reply!
1) I got my recent 1882 medio patacón, in an AU55 grade( I think) for about 85€. What do you say (sincerely!), is it a fair price?! I believed I over-paid it, but I wanted badly the coin, as there are so few Argentinian silver coins!
I also have the 10 & 20 centavos, both 1882
From your country, 14 years ago I won in an auction, for about 110$, the scarce 8 Reales 1815, Provincias Rio de La Plata. It is in a VG+/F grade, I may say. Por favor, what's the actual correct price for this coin too?
By the way, I always have been a great fan of the argentinian tango music but ONLY of its "Golden Age" interpretations (La Guardia Vieja). And NOT that Tango Nuevo of the "Tango Killer" Astor Piazzolla! I know that this will "sound" strange but that is!...
I have a media collection of more than 7000 tangos from countries all over the World, mostly Argentinian tipical orquestas y cantantes. But... it is not the place here to talk about this subject.
2) I collect mostly silver coins, from all World countries (dissapared or existing), 16-th.to 20-th.centuries. Collected by types, but good years & mints are wellcomed
I have a quite important collection of hundreds & hundreds silver coins, I don't know exactly how many they are,as I never counted them
(Strange,no?!)
3) About the Romanian currency & coins we can also talk alot...To resume, I'll tell you:
• The first modern national coins were struck in bronze, in 1867, with 4 denominations:
1 ban(u)-old romanian language, scarce coin now
2 bani; 5 bani; 10 bani (the plural of ban)
BANI means "money", in translation.
• Up to the First World War, the Romanian monetary sistem was that of the European Latin Union, based on gold-silver bimetalism.
• The modern currency unit was and is also now the LEU (= lion), same name as the Bulgarian unit, named there LEV(= lion), LEVA at plural
• In Romania 1 Leu (plural,LEI) is equal to 100 bani.
• The first silver 1Leu was struck in 1870. 400,000 pieces were minted but it is very hard to find now, especially in medium & high grades (VF to XF). I don't have it! I wanted it in a nice grade, I found but too expensive for me.
• In 1872 were minted the first 2Lei silver coins ; in 1880, the first "crown sized" silver 5 Lei. Indeed, beautiful, gorgeous coins! And struck in Bucharest by the national mint. Unlikely the 1867 series minted in Great Britain at Heaton and Watt & Comp. The last big silver 5Lei was the 1906 jubileum coin for the anniversary of 40 years reign of our first king, Carol I (= Carlos).
• In 1868, before silver, the first semi-legal gold 20Lei coin was struck in only 200 pieces. It was not allowed by the Turkish sovereign State. The coin is considered a pattern, never released in circulation, priceless now, can be found only in museums.
• First gold circulation coin was the 20Lei 1870, struck at the Bucharest national mint (opened that year) in only 5000 pieces. Very rare & expensive coin now.
• But the rarest & most expensive modern Romanian coin is... the bronze tiny coin of 1ban 1883, 500 pieces struck as presentation coins to be given by the king to ministers, political leaders and royal family friends.
I have alot more to tell you but I believe it is enough for today, friend Julio.
Hasta luego!,
Andi
Posted 03/03/2023 9:24 pm
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