Italy 1932-R 20 lire
This specimen was lot 42484 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2024), where it sold for $7,200. The catalog description[1] noted, "Sublime 20 Lire with Exceptionally Low Mintage Figure, ITALY. 20 Lire, 1932-R Year X (of Fascism). Rome Mint. Vittorio Emanuele III. NGC MS-66. Emanating from a rather limited mintage of just 50 examples, this stunning specimen no doubt stands as one of the finest extant, as is exceeded in the PCGS census by merely one other. Resoundingly and sharply struck, it displays tremendous crispness and elegant brilliance, with dazzling luster observed throughout the fields. For some added character, a hint of burnished toning accentuates the peripheries. An EXTREMELY RARE and wholly important crown." This type was struck for the kingdom of Italy 1926-34. The issues of 1927 and 1928 were of substantial mintage but few seem to have been released as they are seldom seen. The other dates were for presentation only. Vittorio Emanuele III succeeded his father Umberto upon the latter's assassination in 1900, but by 1931 he was the helpless tool of the Fascists. Altho this coin has a Davenport number, we regard it as too small (<20 g) to be included in our list of European crowns.
Recorded mintage: 50.
Specification: 15 g, 0.800 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Dav-145; KM-69.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns and Talers, Since 1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- 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.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2024 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, featuring The Emilio M. Ortiz Collection, The Richard Margolis Collection and The Rutherford Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
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