Nomos Offers NGC-certified 'Holy Grail of Modern Greek Coins'

A seldom-seen pattern showing the first king of modern Greece is among nearly 300 rare Greek coins certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company® (NGC®) that are being offered in a Nomos AG auction in Switzerland on March 23, 2024. Bidding is already underway, and can also be done through March 21 via the website for A. Karamitsos, a Greece-based auction house that is presenting the sale in association with Nomos.

The El Greco Collection of Modern Greek Rarities includes some of the most sought-after coins from the century after the establishment of the modern Greek state in 1832. The centerpiece of the collection, which the auction houses refer to as "the Holy Grail of Modern Greek Coins," is a Greece 1852 Gold Pattern 20 Drachmai graded NGC MS 62 (lot 126), which has an estimate of CHF625,000 (about $709,000).

The coin's obverse shows King Otto, a Bavarian prince who was chosen as the first monarch of the Greek state and ruled for 30 years. This coin, the only one of its kind in the NGC Census, is one of just three (from an original mintage of 16) that are available to private collectors, according to the auction houses.

Otto was succeeded by King George I, who ruled for a half century beginning in 1863. This Greece 1875 Gold Essai 100 Drachmai (lot 159) is graded PF 63 Ultra Cameo and has an estimate of CHF 187,500 (about $213,000). Fewer than five are known to exist, according to the auction houses.

Constantine took the throne upon his father's assassination in 1913, and his face appears on another of the greatest rarities of this collection: a Greece 1915 Gold Essai Drachma graded NGC PF 65 (lot 199). Few gold coins were struck with the image of Constantine, who ruled only for a few years, mostly coinciding with the political and economic turmoil of World War I. This coin, which stands alone in the NGC Census, has an estimate of CHF100,000 (about $113,000).

Other NGC-certified highlights from the El Greco Collection in this auction include:

• a Greece 1875 Gold Essai 50 Drachmai graded NGC PF 61 Ultra Cameo (lot 157), with an estimate of CHF100,000 (about $113,000)

• a Greece 1876A 100 Drachmai graded NGC MS 61 (lot 170), with an estimate of CHF87,500 (about $99,000)

• a Greece 1869 E Gold 5 Drachmai graded NGC PF 65 Cameo (lot 144), with an estimate of CHF62,500 (about $71,000)

• a Greece 1869 E Gold 10 Drachmai graded NGC PF 65 Cameo (lot 145), with an estimate of CHF62,500 (about $71,000)

• a Greece 1869 Gold Essai 20 Drachmai graded NGC PF 66 Cameo (lot 146), with an estimate of CHF62,500 (about $71,000)

• a Greece 1876A 20 Drachmai graded NGC PF 66 Cameo (lot 167), with an estimate of CHF50,000 (about $56,000)

• a Greece 1915 Silver Essai Drachma graded NGC PF 63 (lot 197), with an estimate of CHF43,750 (about $49,000)

• a Greece 1960 Gold 20 Drachmai graded NGC PF 66 Cameo (lot 213), with an estimate of CHF37,500 (about $42,000)

• a Greece 1935(1940) Gold Pattern 20 Drachmai Without '20' graded NGC PF 65+ Cameo (lot 205), with an estimate of CHF37,500 (about $42,000)

• a Greece 1868 Silver Pattern 2 Drachmai graded NGC PF 64 (lot 136), with an estimate of CHF37,500 (about $42,000)

• a Greece 1868 E Silver Drachma graded NGC PF 64 (lot 133), with an estimate of CHF37,500 (about $42,000)

• a Greece 1845 5 Drachmai graded NGC MS 63 (lot 95), with an estimate of CHF37,500 (about $42,000)

• a Greece 1876A 50 Drachmai graded NGC MS 62 (lot 169), with an estimate of CHF37,500 (about $42,000)

• a Greece 1935(1940) Restoration Gold 100 Drachmai graded NGC PF 64+ Cameo (lot 210), with an estimate of CHF35,000 (about $40,000)