Mantua (1445-78) 1/2 testone
This specimen was lot 39007 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2025), where it sold for $312. The catalog description[1] noted, "ITALY. Mantua. 1/2 Testone, ND (1445-78). Mantua Mint. Ludovico III Gonzaga. PCGS VF-30. From the Richard Margolis Collection." Wikipedia comments, "Ludovico III Gonzaga of Mantua (il Turco), (1412-78) was the ruler of the Italian city of Mantua from 1444 to his death in 1478. From 1445 to 1450 Ludovico served as condottiero for Milan, Florence, Venice, and Naples, switching his allegiance to grant a higher level of peace for his lands." The Gonzagas ruled Mantua until 1708. The reverse of this coin depicts a relictuary with the motto "⁕ XPI · SANGVINVS : TABERNACVLVM", or, "Tabernacle of the blood of Jesus".
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.8 g, silver, 26 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: MIR-393.
- Grierson, Philip, Coins of Medieval Europe, London: B. A. Seaby Ltd., 1991.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2025 NYINC Showcase Auction, featuring the Richard Margolis Collection, Part III, and the Richard August Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
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