Italy 1905-R lira
This specimen was lot 34913 in Heritage sale 3094 (Chicago, August 2021), where it sold for $3,120. The catalog description[1] noted, "Italy: Vittorio Emanuele III Lira 1905-R MS65+ NGC, Rome mint. The key date for this fleeting series, boasting the lowest mintage until the obscenely scarce Lira of the mid-1920s and 30s. Regardless, this piece is of wholly appreciable quality and even Prooflike in nature, the reflective metallic fields elevating a cameo-like appearance of the graciously frosted portrait of Vittorio. The reverse remains equally as impressive, and it is no wonder why NGC bestowed such a lofty designation, the finest assigned by either NGC or PCGS by a full 1 1/2 points." This type was struck for the kingdom of Italy 1901-07. 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: 700,000, the key date.
Specification: 5 g, 0.835 fine silver, .134 troy oz ASW.
Catalog reference: KM 32.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th 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]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, ANA WFOM World & Ancient Coins Platinum Night Signature Auction #3094, featuring the Cape Coral Collection, the WTR Collection and the Monaco Collection, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2021.
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