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MADAGASCAR, Kingdom of Imerina. Ranavalona III. 1883-1897. Fantasy Pattern CU 10 Centimes (30mm, 9.86 g, 6h). Dies by L.C. Lauer(?). Dated 1883 E. * KAMAVALOMANJAKA *MPANJAKA NY MADAGASCAR, crown over floral spray; rosettes flanking / 10/ CENTIMES/ 18 83; E within radiant star within date; all within wreath. MCF 4; KM (X) 1. Red surfaces with purple iridescent toning. UNC.
From the Alexander Christopher Collection.
This interesting piece is part of a now mostly forgotten series of fantasy patterns produced by Lauer and others in the late 19th century. While some contemporaries, such as the English dealer Daniel F. Howarth welcomed these pieces, others felt they were deceitful. American numismatist Lyman Low was particularly outraged, calling the patterns fraudulent. He wrote in The Numismatist, “It is noticeable that they purport to belong principally to obscure and unimportant countries where detection would be comparatively difficult. Any attempt to issue such pieces elsewhere would contravene the coinage laws and involve penalties... The entire list given by Mr. Howorth may, in my opinion, be pronounced a sham, and I heartily agree with him in classifying them as ‘apocryphal,’ and echo his words of warning against them. The few we have published will be withdrawn from our lists and catalogs.”
Despite the outrage at the time, collectors today – including this cataloger – heartily welcome these pieces into their collections. In many cases, these so-called ‘apocryphal’ coins are the only examples from these countries available.
For further information, see Courtney L. Coffing, “Apocryphal coins shed bad names,” in Coin World, 12 January 1977, p. 64-67.
Closing Date and Time: 20 November 2024 at 14:20:00 ET.
All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.
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