You know I have looked at this sale for a while and didn't say anything but feel the Emperor's New Clothes syndrome setting in with me.
What I have to say is: "what on Earth?"..
I have issues with the first 1853 groat listed as currency (IMHO not at all), and then the "currency" 3ds from earlier Victoria:
Not inclusive but the key dates of 1846, 1847, 1848, 1852 and 1853 NOT in my opinion currency despite their being graded as such. These coins all have the classic Maundy appearance with typical strikes and appearance as such and not even the occasional tricky satin format that they will occasionally appear as. I do not know the consignor and bear him/her no ill will unless they were witting in the sale of same. And also shame on NGC for their designations.
Without digressing too far, clearly many of the early Victorian Maundy are not ideal representations of the genre, though I have seen some superb strikes, and so occasionally central details like Victoria's hair, etc. may come flat and ill-defined, the denticles may be a bit mushy and strike perhaps a bit uneven. However the strikes have a fairly typical appearance despite all that, and the difference perhaps a bit more clear when compared to clear currency pieces not worn. Obviously worn pieces are more difficult to discriminate, but these obviously not.
It is my humble opinion that with such coins it likely best to assume Maundy status on the 3d and then if possible PROVE that it is currency. The same is analogously true for the 1853 groat that is prohibitively rare in true currency and not proof status although even in proof is cerainly scarce; (incidentally, the recent proof offered by Colin Cooke designated as such is of a rare later obverse type).
What do readers think?