Papal States 1740 1/2 zecchino Fr-228
This scarce type is listed for 1740 only, issued while the papal throne was vacant. It is accompanied by a one zecchino (Fr-227). Berman mentions two mezzi zecchini, one (2714) with "NVTANTIA.CORDA.TV.DIRIGAS" on the reverse (very rare) and this one (2715), with "VENI.SAN.SPIRITVS" on the reverse. Later in 1740, Benedict XIV was elected and his zecchini (Fr-231) commenced. The second specimen was lot 1261 in Künker sale 352 (Osnabrück, Germany, September 2021), where it sold for €340 (about US$473 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"ITALIEN, KIRCHENSTAAT/VATIKAN, Sedisvakanz 1740. 1/2 Zecchino 1740, Rom. . Fr-228. GOLD. Sehr schön. (Italy, Papal States, sede vacante, half zecchino of 1740, Rome mint. Very fine.)"
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 1.75 g, .998 gold, .055 troy oz AGW, the second specimen 1.66 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-228, KM 934, Ber-2715; Muntoni 6.
- Berman, Allen G., Papal Coins, South Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1991.
- 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.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Künker Auktion 352: Die Sammlung Hermann Schwarz: Faszination des gepragten Goldes. Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2021.
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