Lombardy-Venetia 1824-M 1/2 scudo
This specimen was lot 75322 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, September 2023), where it sold for $720. The catalog description[1] noted, "ITALY. Lombardy-Venetia. 1/2 Scudo, 1824-M. Milan Mint. Franz I. NGC MS-63. Delightful indigo gray, amber, and pale russet iridescence decorate the surfaces of this lustrous piece. Boldly strike devices are quite free of marks or chatter, as are the smooth fields. The first we have had the privilege to present in over a decade, Italian specialists will be delighted by this offering." The kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia was assembled by the Austrians to provide a unified administration for the Italian territories under their rule. This comprised the former duchies of Milan and Mantua and the republic of Venice. Milan, under Spanish rule from the 1500's, fell to the Austrians in 1714 and held by them until 1797 when Napoleon seized it. Napoleon gave Venice (until then independent) to Austria as compensation for her loss of Milan and Belgium. The area passed back and forth between the French and Austrians until the Congress of Vienna in 1814-15, when Metternich awarded it to Austria. Austria ruled it until 1866, when it passed to the new kingdom of Italy. This type was struck at Milan 1822-24 and 1827 and is scarce. This type was also issued at Vienna 1823-25 and 1835 and from Venice 1822-27. The denomination, worth three lire, was last struck in 1853.
Recorded mintage: 1,227,000.
Specification: 12.34 g, 0.900 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM-C7.2; Gig-58; Mont-355.
- 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, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, September 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction - Ancient & World Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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