Italy 1867-OM 10 centesimi
The first specimen was lot 7591 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2022), where it sold for $120. The catalog description[1] noted, "ITALY. 10 Centesimi, 1867-.OM. Vittorio Emanuele II. PCGS MS-63 Brown. A lovely, boldly struck coin with soft silky luster and deep brown patina throughout." This type was struck in prodigious quantities at the Naples, Strasbourg, Heaton, Turin and Milan (shown here) mints 1862-63 and 1866-67 during the reign of Victorio Emanuele II of Italy. This particular example, with an ".OM." mintmark, was probably struck in Paris. Varieties exist without the dots by the mintmark. It is struck to the same standard as the contemporary French ten centimes. The next issue of this denomination would be in 1893, suggesting a surplus in bank vaults. The second specimen was lot 1931 in Sincona sale 94 (Zürich, October 2024), where it sold for 55,000 CHF (about US$ including buyer's fees). The catalog description[2] noted,
"ITALIEN Königreich, Vittorio Emanuele II. 1861-1878. 10 Centesimi 1867 OM, Bruxelles. Con la marca da bollo OM (Oesgher Mesdach di Strasburgo) e il marchio di zecca "testa d'angelo" per Bruxelles. Bordo liscio / Mit der Stempelschneidersignatur OM (Oesgher Mesdach aus Strassburg) und dem Münzzeichen "Engelskopf" für Brüssel. Glatter Rand. Von grösster Seltenheit. Drei bekannte Exemplare. (kingdom of Italy, Victor Emanuel II, 1861-78, ten centesimi of 1867, Brussels mint, with the angel's head privy mark below the king's bust. Of the highest rarity. Three known specimens. NGC MS62 BN.)
La moneta da 10 centesimi fu emessa per la prima volta nel 1862, inizialmente come pezzo sperimentale dalla zecca di Napoli (busto a destra), poi nella sua forma definitiva dalle altre zecche in conformità al decreto del 2 maggio 1861. Le officine di Milano, Napoli e Torino e le officine estere come Birmingham, Bruxelles, Parigi e Strasburgo furono incaricate di produrla. La produzione di Bruxelles è di gran lunga la più rara. A dimostrazione di una produzione speciale, la moneta del 1867 reca le iniziali del direttore dell'officina di Strasburgo, Oesgher Mesdach, e non quelle di un direttore belga. Secondo Sergio Cudazzo, autore del MIR, si ritiene che esistano non più di sei esemplari di questa moneta. Tuttavia, solo tre esemplari sono oggi conosciuti con certezza. (The 10 cent coin was first issued in 1862, initially as an experimental piece by the mint of Naples (bust right), then in its definitive form by the other mints in accordance with the decree of 2 May 1861. The mints of Milan, Naples and Turin and foreign mints such as Birmingham, Brussels, Paris and Strasbourg were commissioned to produce it. The Brussels production is by far the rarest. As evidence of a special production, the 1867 coin bears the initials of the director of the Strasbourg mint, Oesgher Mesdach, and not those of a Belgian director. According to Sergio Cudazzo, author of the MIR, it is believed that no more than six examples of this coin exist. However, only three examples are known with certainty today.)
Recorded mintage: unknown but common.
Specification: 10 g, bronze, 30 mm diameter. The second specimen is 10.11 g.
Catalog reference: KM-11.5. The second specimen MIR 1092o. Mont. 244 (R5). Pagani prova 116 (R4). Luppino RN128 (R5).
- 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 2022 NYINC Sale: World and Ancient Coins, featuring the Mark and Lottie Salton Collection and the Pat Johnson Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
- [2]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 94: World and Swiss Coins and Medals, SINCONA Bullion Auction, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2024.
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