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Coin and Paper Money Collecting/please help with understanding of coin

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Expert: - 6/25/2010


Question
hello dmitry, i am hoping you could help , my grandad had a collection of weird and wonderful coins and i noticed he had a french coin , ive scoured the net and have noticed it is a two sol coin from 1792 , i read a previous question to you and also read the answer ! it was very similar to mine but i would like to point out that on the coin it says 1792Q is the Q the mint mark and if it is , may sound cheeky but is that rare ? and also i do think for its age the coin is in good condition ! the detail of the face and of the coin itself is very clear ! could you please advise me if i keep it in the cupboard or could i seek out a price for it ...thank you dmitry !i will be patiently waiting

Answer

Hi Tony,
The Q is indeed a mint mark, which stands for the Perpignan mint. This is a revolutionary issue, and is not even listed in my world coin catalogs. However, I do know that this is a scarce type (designated RR on the rarity scale), and is quite valuable in excellent shape.
As far as grading on these: it is fairly liberal due to all of these early coins being crudely and weakly struck.
For example, the coin in the attached photo would be considered a mid to high grade example. That one sold for just over 250 euros, despite an auction estimate of 150 euros.
I cannot give an exact value without seeing a clear picture of the portrait side of the coin, but hopefully the attached picture and value will give you a good reference point for your coin.
Thanks for the question! =)
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    Commentthank you dmitry ....very helpful advice !


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Dmitry Livshits

Expertise

My specialty is world coins from the 18th to 20th centuries, primarily non-US foreign coins and related areas such as errors and exonumia (tokens, medals, etc.). I can answer questions relating to identification, grading, selling, preservation and evaluation of such items. In addition to catalog value, I can give you the practical market value and trends for specific types of coins. I will also take questions regarding counterfeits (both modern and antique) and on how to identify them. I am NOT knowledgeable in paper money/banknotes, ancient or "shipwreck" coins. Thank you.

Experience

Collector of world coins since early childhood. Access to a variety of auction records and reference material. You can also find me on Facebook.

Education/Credentials
A.S. in Psychology (2006), B.A. in Forensic Psychology (2008), M.A. in Forensic Psychology (2011).

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