Papal States (1683) 1/2 piastra KM-430
This specimen was lot 57353 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2024), where it sold for $168. The catalog description[1] noted, "ITALY. Papal (States of the Church). 1/2 Piastra, Year VII (1683). Rome Mint. Innocent XI. PCGS Genuine--Plugged, AU Details." The mezza piastra was 52½ baiocchi, while the piastra, the Italian equivalent of the German thaler, was 105 baiocchi (3½ testone). The denomination was last minted in 1742 and superseded by the mezzo scudo in 1753. The reverse motto, "Avarus non implebitur pecunia, et qui amat divitias fructum non capiet ex eis; et hoc ergo vanitas," comes from Ecclesiates 5:10: "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity." This is among the more common mezzi piastri; many varieties exist of this issue, including KM 429 with the motto in a cartouche and KM 431 with the motto in a palm wreath. Wikipedia comments,
"Immediately upon his accession, Innocent XI turned all his efforts towards reducing the expenses of the Curia. He passed strict ordinances against nepotism among the cardinals. He lived very parsimoniously and exhorted the cardinals to do the same. In this manner he not only squared the annual deficit which at his accession had reached the sum of 170,000 scudi, but within a few years the papal income was even in excess of the expenditures."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 16.03 g, 0.917 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Ber-2095, KM-430.
- 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.
- Francesco Muntoni, Le Monete del Papi e Degli Stati Pontifici, 4 vols. Rome: P & P Santamaria, 1973.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2024 NYINC Auction, featuring the Emilio M Ortiz Collection and a Symphony of Russian Rarities, the Rothschild-Piatigorsky Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
Link to:
- (1682) piastra
- (1683) mezza piastra, year VII, AVARVS NON IMPLEBITVR in cartouche
- (1683) mezza piastra, year VII, AVARVS NON IMPLEBITVR in palm wreath
- 1684 giulio, year VIII, QVI DAT PAVPERI NON INDIGEBIT
- 1684 testone, MELIVS EST DARE QVAM ACCIPERE, cherub at top of cartouche
- 1684 testone, MELIVS EST DARE QVAM ACCIPERE, cartouche with laurel branches
- 1684 testone, MELIVS EST DARE QVAM ACCIPERE, "MELIVS" bracketed by scrolls
- 1684 testone, MELIVS EST DARE QVAM ACCIPERE, "EST DARE" bracketed by corners
- 1684 testone, MELIVS EST DARE QVAM ACCIPERE, date on obverse
- (1684-86) testone, MELIVS EST DARE QVAM ACCIPERE
- 1684 piastra, DEXTERA TVA DOMINE PERCVSSIT INIMICVM, year VIII, no bow
- (1684) piastra, DEXTERA TVA DOMINE PERCVSSIT INIMICVM, year VIII, no bow
- (1684) piastra, DEXTERA TVA DOMINE PERCVSSIT INIMICVM, year VIII, with bow
- 1684 piastra, DEXTERA TVA DOMINE PERCVSSIT INIMICVM, year IX, with bow
- (1692) mezza piastra, pelican feeding her chicks
- 1692 mezza piastra, Peace standing
- Coins and currency dated 1683