Italy 1902-R lira
This specimen was lot 2782 in Goldberg sale 109 (Los Angeles, January 2019), where it sold for $312. The catalog description[1] noted, "Italy. Lira, 1902-R. Vittorio Emanuele III. Beautiful toning. NGC graded MS-65." This type was struck for the kingdom of Italy 1901-02, 1905-07. The weight and fineness matches that of a French franc. This denomination was struck to this standard until 1917, when the stress of wartime inflation forced the government to suspend production. When mintage of the lira resumed in 1922, it was a nickel coin. Vittorio Emanuele III succeeded his father Umberto upon the latter's assassination in 1900.
Recorded mintage: 4,083,605, a slightly better date.
Specification: 5 g, 0.835 fine silver, 23 mm diameter, lettered edge, .134 troy oz ASW.
Catalog reference: Gig-128, KM-32; Pagani-764.
- [1]Goldberg, Ira, Larry Goldberg, John Lavender, Yifu Che, Jason Villareal and Stephen Harvey, Goldberg Sale 109: the Pre-Long Beach Auction, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 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.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
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