Lucca 1807 franco
This specimen was lot 2035 in Künker sale 293 (Osnabrück, Germany, July 2017), where it sold for €500 (about US$674 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"ITALIEN, LUCCA, Elisa Bonaparte und Felix Baciocchi, 1805-1814. 1 Franco 1807, Florenz. Vorzüglich-Stempelglanz. (principality of Lucca, Elisa Bonaparte and Felix Baciocchi, 1805-1814, one franco of 1807, Florence mint. Extremely fine to uncirculated.)"
This one franco was struck in the principality of Lucca while it was ruled by Elisa Bonaparte, sister of Napoleon. The five franchi appears fairly regularly in auctions but this smaller type is very seldom seen. The type was struck 1806-08, whereupon the tiny state was annexed to Napoleon's empire. After his fall, the pricipality was given to a relative of the king of Naples, then attached to Tuscany in 1847. It is now part of Italy.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 5 grams, 0.900 fine silver, .144 troy oz ASW.
Catalog reference: Pagani 257, KM-23.
- 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]Künker Münzauktionen und Goldhandel, Katalog 293: Münzen aus Mittelalter und Neuzeit u. a. die westfälischen Privatsammlungen Werner Bröker und Bernd Terletzki, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2017.
Link to:
- 1806 1 franco
- 1807 5 franchi
- Lucca 1808 franco
- Coins and currency dated 1807
- return to coins of Italy, Lucca