Italy 1808-M 20 lire
This specimen was lot 3438 in Sincona sale 43 (Zürich, October 2017), where it sold for 275 CHF (about US$328 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"ITALY, Königreich, Napoleone I. 1805-1814 20 Lire 1808. Mailand. Sehr schön. (kingdom of Italy, Napoleon I, 1805-14, twenty lire of 1808, Milan mint. Very fine.)"
This coin was struck in Milan for Napoleon's kingdom of Italy which lasted 1804-1814. The twenty lire piece matched the French twenty francs and was struck in limited numbers 1808-14. Its larger sister, the forty lire piece, is much more often encountered. The silver five lire was struck in Milan, Venice and Bologna.
Recorded mintage: 87,183, a common date.
Specification: 6.45 g, 0.900 fine gold, .186 troy oz AGW, this specimen 6.42 g.
Catalog reference: Mont-205, Pagani 18. Schl. 14. Fr-7, KM 11.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- 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]Richter, Jürg, Sincona sale 43, Gold and Silver Coins and Medals, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
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