Proba Chopin coin from Poland posted by Alan Lastufka

[CSJournals-migration]

Here's the latest addition to my music-themed custom Symphony Set.

 

This is a silver proba coin from Poland, celebrating composer Fryderyk Chopin with this bold, stylized portrait on the obverse (picture below).

 

According to the 2012 Standard Catalog of World Coins: "In Poland, rejected coin designs are often minted in large numbers for sale to collectors. These coins have the word PROBA on them, usually stamped incuse. The coins struck in nickel are not available to the general public. Of the 500 pieces struck, 250 pieces are distributed among the members of the Polish Numismatic Society and the other 250 pieces are distributed between various banks and museums." (39th Edition, George S. Cuhaj, Editor)

 

I believe NGC's attribution of this coin as a P-325A is incorrect. In my World Coins book, and on NGC's World Coin guide, this design is attributed as KM # Pr202. In the future I might send it back in to be corrected.

 

Either way, it's a very bold, fantastic proof coin with a lower mintage of 14,622.

 

If you'd like to see the rest of my Symphony Set, you can here:

http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinCustomSetGallery.aspx?s=9450

 

See more journals by Alan Lastufka

[brg5658]

I believe NGC's attribution of this coin as a P-325A is incorrect. In my World Coins book, and on NGC's World Coin guide, this design is attributed as KM # Pr202. In the future I might send it back in to be corrected.

 

NGC's attribution is completely correct, it just isn't the coding system from the Krause catalog you have. There are many different guides for world coins, and the P-325A numbering comes from the "Katalog Monet Polskich" written by Parchimowicz. The "P" in the numbering stands for the author's last name, and the 325A is the attribution from that resource.

 

I'm not sure of NGC's practice for which resource they use for attributing coins, but the Krause is only one of many guides. My guess is that they would add whichever attribution the submitter prefers in the case of multiple possible attribution numbers.

 

Also, I noticed that you have Chopin's head in the "obverse" slot for the images. You (or course) can post the images however you please, but Chopin's bust is actually the reverse of this coin, and the eagle with denomination/year is the obverse (your coin description blurb lists the obverse/reverse incorrectly).

 

-Brandon

[Lastufka Collection]

Brandon, thanks for that info! I just assumed with NGC using Krause in their world coins guide that they would also use Krause for the label. And I had no idea about the obverse and reverse, because it's holdered with Chopin as the obverse. But I guess that happens for all the statehood quarters and 2009 cents as well. So, yeah. =)

 

Appreciate the corrections.

[brg5658]

Brandon, thanks for that info! I just assumed with NGC using Krause in their world coins guide that they would also use Krause for the label. And I had no idea about the obverse and reverse, because it's holdered with Chopin as the obverse. But I guess that happens for all the statehood quarters and 2009 cents as well. So, yeah. =)

 

Appreciate the corrections.

 

Based on what I can tell from watching hundreds of eBay, Heritage, and Teletrade auctions over the past couple years, I would say it is more common for NGC-graded world coins to have no KM-# than for them to have one listed. And, for many world coins there are multiple guides/resources for their attribution. As such, I get the feeling that NGC oftentimes puts on the label the designation requested by the submitter (as long as they can confirm that it is indeed correct).

 

Remember, the Krause is a very far reaching scope guide. Indeed, there are KM#s for all US coin designs also, but there is no thought of putting the KM-# on those. I would say the labeling of world coins with KM numbers by PCGS is just as sporadic as that by NGC. For identifying types and mintages, the Krause catalog is indispensable, but it is not the only resource.

 

Regarding the placement of the coin in the holder with the reverse to the front, in this case I'm not sure if it is simply because that is the "thematic" side of the coin, or if the NGC employee placing the coin for encapsulation may have honestly not really known which side was which. Nonetheless, it is not uncommon for NGC to position coins in the holder with the "featured" side forward. For example, when a coin receives a star, that side is usually displayed on the label side.

 

BTW, that's a really gorgeous specimen. I love the artistic freedoms they took with the Chopin bust. I'm loving the Symphony Set! Keep up the good work!

 

PS -- That eagle side of the polish coins has been around for about 1000 years. It comes from the original Piast Dynasty shield ( link here ).

 

-Brandon

[greysoldier]

Nice work on your Symphony Set - the proba really fits in well. I sure wish I could figure out how to take custom photos like yours. Happy 327th birthday to Johann Sebastian Bach!

[Lastufka Collection]

Brandon, thanks for the additional info. Amazing to know that eagle design is so old.

 

greysoldier, the photos are still something I'm very much experimenting and learning with. I have a decent camera, and a great macro lens. So if you have a camera with detachable lenses, you should first pick up a macro lens.

 

After snapping the pictures I don't do any post production editing of contrast or color. All I do is simply cut out the coin from the slab in the image and then throw my "branding" on there. This can be done in Photoshop (expensive) or GIMP (free).

[Mokiechan]

That's a beauty Alan, amazing what innovative designs world mints produce while our mint continues to wallow in mediocrity.

 

later,

Malcolm