Ionian Islands 1851 30 lepta
This specimen was lot 1812 in Sincona sale 47 (Zürich, May 2018), where it sold for 110 CHF (about US$132 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"Ionische Inseln, Unter britischer Verwaltung, 1809-1863. 30 Lepta 1851, London. Gutes sehr schön. (Ionian islands, under British occupation, 1809-63, thirty lepta of 1851, London mint. Good very fine.)"
This type is listed for 1834, 1848-52, 1857 and 1862 and, like most of the issues of nineteenth century Greece, is scarce, despite the substantial mintage. The 1862 is the only common date. It was struck to the standard of a British threepence. The Ionian Islands, long contested by the Venetians and the Turks, were seized by the British from the French in 1809 and held by them until 1864, when they were united with Greece. The French issued coins for the "Septinsular Republic" in 1801 and the British issued coins intermittently in 1814, 1819-21 and 1834-62.
Recorded mintage: 331,000 for 1848-62.
Specification: 1.41 g, 0.925 fine silver, this specimen 1.38 g.
Catalog reference: KM 35, Karamitsos 1.30.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, Auction 47, World Coins and Medals, Coins and Medals from Switzerland, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2018.
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