RUSSIA. 5 Kopecks, 1793-AM. B-299; Cr-59.2. Catherine II. Original striking. Glossy medium brown, hints of faded mint red. Nicely centered. At 9 o'clock obverse, a crack in the massive flan. A choice coin. NGC graded MS-66 Red and Brown.
Estimated Value $750-1,000.
Ex Irving Goodman Sale, Feb 1991, Lot 548
Perhaps an appropriate point to make a comment about the numerical grades used by NGC in assessing this great collection: these number grades should be taken as a guide to quality only, not as an absolute. Collectors generally do not need or want numerical grades, but investors do. For a collector, the coin is either pleasing to him or not, perhaps mediocre but acceptable because of its rarity, perhaps Choice and the best there is, occasionally Gem or Superb--always a treasure when found. Remember that NGC's opinion is just an opinion, a guide to what professionals think of a coin's quality. It's not an absolute. So, check through the number grades, read our descriptions carefully, and view the coins yourself if possible. We try to paint a verbal picture for absentee bidders. We try to portray the coins accurately. But the majority of the Russian coins of Dr. Hesselgesser are simply the finest in the world, each one selected with great care for its physical appeal. We are not making pejorative comments when we describe a flaw, only making an observation of reality. The worst of the doctor's Russian coins are equal to or, more often, better than almost anything else on the market worldwide. His best are simply awesome!.
