Eritrea 1896-R 2 lire
This specimen was lot 73563 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, February 2022), where it sold for $240. The catalog description[1] noted, "ERITREA. 2 Lira, 1896-R. Rome Mint. Umberto I. NGC AU-53. An attractive and rarely seen type, this example has a deep tone that moderates as the central devices are reached from the peripheries. Some light wear and handling is no detraction from the overall attractive nature of the piece." Altho this coin does not receive the attention of the larger five lire (KM 4), it does not turn up often. This two year type (1890 and 1896) is a product of the Rome mint. Italy in the 1890's was late coming to the party of African colonizers and only managed to seize a few scraps of wasteland not wanted by the other powers. Her attempts to conquer Ethiopia were ignominiously defeated and she was forced to content herself with Eritrea, along the coast of the Red Sea.
Recorded mintage: 750,000.
Specification: 10 g, 0.835 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM-3.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Gigante, Fabio, Gigante 2016: Catalogo Nazionale delle Monete Italiano Dal '700 All'Euro, 24a ed. Varese, Italy, 2015.
- Montenegro, Eupremio, Montenegro 2015: Manuale del Collezionista di Monete Italiane, 30 ed., Torino, Italy: Montenegro s.a.s., 2014.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The February 2022 World Collectors Choice Online Auction - Ancients & World Coins, Featuring Selections from the Kings Norton Mint Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
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