USA Buffalo Nickel 1913-1938

1936; 21.2 mm, 5 g, Philadelphia mint. mintage 119m

KM 134

This example was found in change, and had likely been a coin that had been removed from circulation for some length of time. Thereafter being added by someone back into the circulation stream for a time before it was removed again, since the high points, particularly the date are visible and many details are still apparent, which is not often the case with well circulated pieces. 

In this condition, it is worth $3-$4 perhaps. It was prudent that it was removed from circulation and preserved as it now appears. Not a rare coin, but certainly one that captures the artistry that is mostly missing from circulating coinage in the USA, except for perhaps the new/old bust of Washington appearing on quarters minted since 2022. 

 

New York Prosecutor to Press Charges Against owner of Roma Numismatics - CoinsWeekly

 New York Prosecutor to Press Charges Against Richard Beale / Roma Numismatics - CoinsWeekly

One of the World’s Most Expensive Coins Was Sold Using Fake Provenance – ARTnews.com

There are a few coins posted on this blog, which originated via the aforementioned auction house and purchased by a third party dealer from whom the coins were acquired. 

Unfortunately, the provenances for a couple of these coins are "from a private British or European Collection" which begs the question, if we dug deeper would there actually be a private collection there or something else? These provenances have no documented basis, and without documentation, no provenance. The third party dealer did not include this information in their listing, it was only through our due diligence after acquisition that revealed the origin history such as it is. 

A questionable provenance is as bad as none at all, and an untraceable or ultimately false provenance should not add a premium to the item's value. All purchases must be governed by "caveat emptor". All provenances need to be researched and fully documented as far as the records support it. 

ROMAN/Licinius CE 308-324

 AE Follis; 29 mm, 3.13 g, 6h, Thessalonika mint, CE 312-313

RCV 15251

O: laur., cuir. draped bust r, IMP LIC LICINIVS PF AVG

R: Jupiter stg l, holding Nike and scepter with eagle stg on left IOVI CONSERVATORI AVGG NN/*TS*Δ*

ROMAN EGYPT/Constantius I, as Caesar CE 293-296

Potin Tetradrachm; 20 mm, 7.44 g, 1h, Alexandria mint, Regnal Year 2= CE 293-294

Dattari (Savio) 6044

Emmett 4184.2

O: laur draped cuir bust r  ΦΛΑ ΚωCTANTIOC K

R:  Eirene stg facing hd to left holding branch and scepter LB in outer left field

 

Ex: Ken Dorney (unsold at Auction 14: lot 267, 31-01-2023)

Ex: Leu Numismatik Web Auction 16: Lot 2613 (22-05-2021)

Ex: Rhakotis Collection (Germany)

ROMANIA; Mihai (1921-2017) CE 1927-1930 & 1940-1947

Nickel clad steel, 100 Lei, 28 mm, 8.46 g, mintage 21,289,000

KM 64

O: hd r, MIHAI REGELE ROMANILOR

R: crown divides wreath with date and value 100 LEI/1944

edge: NIHIL SINE DEO

I had once known a college professor by the name of Jacques Vergotti (1915-1999) who had been an aide de camp to King Michael and used to talk about his time with the King and encountering people like Averell Harriman and Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Vishinsky among others. He was among those placed on a train to be exiled with the King in 1947 by the authorities in Bucharest. A biography of Vergotti appears in the Romanian version of Wikipedia:

 Jacques Vergotti - Wikipedia. 

His papers are at the Hoover Institution Library in CA and the bio found there reads: "Jacques M. Vergotti was born in 1915. A Major in the Romanian Army, he served as aide to Michael I, King of Romania, between 1941-1947. He witnessed the last year of the Romanian monarchy and the palace coup of December 30, 1947, when the King was overthrown and the Popular Republic of Romania was proclaimed. He was one of the few people allowed to leave the country together with the King, whose aide he was for one more year. He then emigrated to the US and has lived there since."

Mihai on l, Vergotti on r