ARGENTINA. Araucania and Patagonia (New France). Copper 2 Centavos Fantasy Pattern, 1874. NGC MS-65 Red Brown.
KMX-1; VG-3859. Sometimes called a pattern but more accurately categorized as a fantasy as the piece was struck for a kingdom that did not exist. Handsome red-brown and fully struck. With a large die break on the reverse. Orelie-Antoine de Tounens (born Antoine Tounens) (1825-78) was a French lawyer and adventurer who proclaimed himself king of Araucanía and Patagonia by a decree on 17 November 1860. He made it to South America but was declared insane and expelled by Chile in 1862. He reappeared in 1869 but deported to France in 1871 and again in 1874 and 1876.
Accompanied by an old collector's envelope.
Estimate: $400.00- $600.00