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PRESENTATION PIECES, SPORTS AND NOVODELSIn response to Kavan Ratnatunga's query, Howard A. Daniel III writes: "NCLT (Non Circulating Legal Tender) coins (and notes) are frequently produced in Southeast Asia in large to low numbers. For those NCLT made in very low numbers and often in other than "normal" metals or paper, the term "Presentation Pieces" is frequently used for them, and they were made going back a couple of hundred years in Southeast Asia. But then there are some very low numbers of pieces made by employees for their personal profit and they are called "Sports". I do not know when this name was developed, but they are often found in price lists and auction catalogs as "official" errors. But most of the modern Southeast Asian "errors" are really sports. I hope the above has not confused anyone." Steve Pellegrini adds: "on reading Kavan Ratnatunga's query about a more precise term for the Lankan restrikes he describes, the term 'Novodel' came immediately to mind. Novodels were special coins produced by the Russian Royal Mint in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They were struck on demand for sale or presentation to favored collectors. These favored collectors were almost exclusively of the Russian aristocracy. As one would expect of a Russian Count or Duke with a hole in his Whitman Folder he would present the Mintmaster with an order for whatever date, denomination and composition of coin he desired. If the dies were extant, fine, if not, new ones were cut. If the coin in question were so rare that nobody remembered or ever knew how it looked, then an approximation was produced. Many Novodels were struck of rare dates in off metals, some were of dates which had never existed, but which the noble collector felt should have existed. The characteristic most Novodels shared (aside from rarity) is whimsy. It appears that in the area of manufactured rarities the Russian Mint put even the Philadelphia Mint in far the shade."Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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