Papal States 1684 testone KM-434

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Goldberg sale 112, lot 2194
Papal St G112-2194r.jpg
Stack's Bowers 2024 NYINC sale, lot 57351
SB124-57351 rev.jpg

The first specimen was lot 2194 in Goldberg sale 112 (Los Angeles, September 2019), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted, "Italian States: Papal/Roman States. Testone, 1684. Anno VIII. Innocent XI. Attractive original mint state example and toned. NGC graded MS-62." The SCWC lists eighteen different testone for 1684, varying in the design of the cartouche on the reverse. This particular variety has the cartouche decorated with laurel branches. The reverse motto, "MELIVS EST DARE QVAM ACCIPERE," is the well known, "It is better to give than to receive." The testone was thirty baiocchi, while the piastra, the Italian equivalent of the German thaler, was 105 baiocchi (3½ testone). The second specimen was lot 57351 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2024), where it sold for $240. The catalog description[2] noted, "ITALY. Papal (States of the Church). Teston, Year VIII (1684). Rome Mint. Innocent XI. PCGS AU-53." 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: 9.59 g, 0.917 fine silver.

Catalog reference: KM-434; Berman-2102, MIR-2035/17.

Source:

  • 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.
  • [1]Goldberg, Ira, Larry Goldberg, John Lavender, Yifu Che, Jason Villareal and Stephen Harvey, Goldberg Sale 103: the Pre-Long Beach Auction, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 2018.
  • Francesco Muntoni, Le Monete del Papi e Degli Stati Pontifici, 4 vols. Rome: P & P Santamaria, 1973.
  • [2]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.

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