Here is a link to an ebay auction which has me a bit puzzled:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=280104263641

The coin sold for an amazing $207.50 + shipping, which is far more than I thought it would bring.

The Russian description contains a bit more information than the English:
1 Копейка 1924 года.
Гурт рубчатый.
Вариация,- серп ниже полюса.
Сертифицирована NGC MS-63.

which I think means

1 kopek 1924
reeded edge
Variant - (point of?) the sickle is below the (North?) pole
Certified NGC MS-63.


What I don't know is if this coin went so high
- because of the grading,
- because the buyer doesn't know what he is doing,
- because the buyer does know what he is doing (and I don't),
- because it is a rare variety or
- because of some combination of the above.

I know very little about Soviet coins and the only reference I have that catalogs them (other than Krause) is my copy of Rylov & Sobolin which mentions the plain edge variety and another which is apparently muled with the obverse die intended for the 1924 20 kopeks coin (at least, I think that's what it says). I don't think the coin in the auction is the muled coin.

Rylov & Sobolin says (I think) that there are 3 non-mule varieties of the reeded edge 1924 kopek, but doesn't identify them. I think the ebay coin is one of those varieties.

Does anyone here know what those non-muled reeded edge varieties are and if any of them are rare? Also, what is the best reference catalog for Soviet coins?

I'm just very surprised by the result of this auction and wondering why the coin brought such a high price.

Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to offer.

Catalogue of Y. Adrianov (I think the best for varieties of coins of USSR) lists 5 varieties of 1924 Kopeck with reeded edge. 3 are with obverse where the sickle is below the North Pole. First variety is common, and two varieties are rare. I unable to tell what variety was sold since much better pictures are needed to figure out, but I do not think it was a rare one. Just more than one buyer wanted the coin therefore the high price.

WCO

WCO,


Thank you for your reply.

Here is the ebay coin. I have increased the brightness and contrast of the image to try to make the details more easily seen. I hope this will prove helpful in identifying the variety.


Do you know where this book by Y. Adrianov can be obtained and what I might reasonably expect to pay for it?

Finally, does this ebay price for the 1924 kopek seem as outlandish to you as it does to me? As I said, I don't know Soviet coins very well, but I never thought this coin was so hard to find that it would bring such a high price. I thought it might bring $50 or so to the right buyer, but not over $200.

Really can't tell the variety even looking at brighter images. On a rare (R4) variety the third ray on the left side under the sun is longer than on common variety and on scarce variety North Pole and meridians close to it are engraved more sharp than on common variety. So if you can figure out ... But common sense tells me that this coin is not rare or scarce.

About the book. It was printed in 2005 (only 820 books printed) and sold out a long ago, I was lucky to obtain one of the last remaining books. As with all good books it was quite expensive back then, I paid about $75 or so for it. It may cost way more now, but I do not know.

The coin on my opinion was sold for double of what it deserves, but good quality early coins of USSR are in very high demand and on the rise now.

WCO

Okay, thank you for your help, WCO!