Papal States (1667-69) quadrupla Fr-139
This specimen was lot 1129 in Künker Auction 425 (Osnabrück, July 2025), where it sold for €40,000 (about US$56,640 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"EUROPÄISCHE MÜNZEN UND MEDAILLEN · ITALIEN, KIRCHENSTAAT/VATIKAN Clemens IX., 1667-1669. Quadrupla o. J., Rom. CLEM · IX · - PONT · MAX Vierfeldiges Wappen in verziertem Rahmen mit Kordeln, oben Muschel, darüber gekreuzte Schlüssel und strahlende Tiara//m CANDOR LVCIS ÆTERNÆ m Die Heilige Jungfrau Maria mit strahlendem Haupt steht v. v. auf einer Mondsichel und faltet ihre Hände zum Gebet. GOLD. Von größter Seltenheit. Fast Stempelglanz. (Italy, Papal States, Clement IX, 1667-69, undated quadrupla, Rome mint. Obverse: quartered arms with cords, crossed keys and radiant tiara above; reverse: the Virgin Mary stands on the crescent moon, her hands clasped in prayer. Extremely rare, about uncirculated.)"
A quadrupla was four gold scudi and was the largest gold coin struck by the baroque popes. Berman mentions another quadrupla for this pope (Berman-1978, Bologna mint) but no images of it has yet fallen into our hands. Candor est lucis ætérnæ, et spéculum sine mácula = "For she is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of his goodness" (Wisdom 7:26).
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specifications: 13.44 g, 0.917 fine gold, this specimen 13,44 g.
Catalog reference: Berman 1966, KM 288, Fr-139; Muntoni 1; Toffanin 1903/1.
- Berman, Allen G., Papal Coins, South Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1991.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Francesco Muntoni, Le Monete del Papi e Degli Stati Pontifici, 4 vols. Rome: P & P Santamaria, 1973.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 425: Gold coins from the Medieval and Modern Times, from the Mohr family collection, e.g. | Silver coins, e.g. highlights of medallic art | German coins after 1871, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2025.
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