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Switzerland: Confederation "Gondo-Gold" 20 Francs 1893-B MS62 PCGS,...
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Description
A Legendary Rarity of the Confederation Gold Series
Confederation "Gondo-Gold" 20 Francs 1893-B MS62 PCGS, Bern mint, a small cross countermark in the center of the reverse arms, KM31.3, Fr-498, HMZ 2-1194, Divo Proben-28. One of the storied rarities of modern Swiss numismatics, this 20 Francs produced with gold from the Gondo mine in Canton Valais comes from an issue of only 25 pieces. Besides the countermark in the reverse arms, which is the primary means of identification, this extremely rare type is also distinguished by the unusual color of the gold. The alloy is .900 fine gold but the remaining 10% is primarily copper with just a trace of silver, giving the coin an almost greenish tinge. The unusual alloy is easily recognizable when the coin is held alongside other 20 Francs of the same period and also resulted in a flan that was minutely lighter than its counterparts (6.442g vs. 6.45g). This particular example exhibits traces of light handling on the surfaces, commensurate with the grade, but is otherwise very attractive in hand, the fields brightly reflective and contrasting nicely with a gentle cameo effect on the devices. The only recent example of this issue to appear at auction was in an NGSA sale (Auction 6, November 2010, Lot 925) where it realized CHF 85,000 hammer (approx. $84,800). Two more issues of Gondo-Gold 20 Francs would be produced, also in tiny numbers: 19 pieces of this type in 1895 and 29 pieces of the Vreneli type in 1897, the last before the mines were considered to be played out.
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