Papal States 1861-R 20 baiocchi
This specimen was lot 70205 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, May 2020), where it sold for $480. The catalog description[1] noted, "ITALY. Papal States. 20 Baiocchi, 1861-R Year XV. Rome Mint. Pius IX. NGC MS-64. A mostly untoned near Gem, offering a high degree of brilliance and radiating luster. Tied for the finest in the NGC census with just one other example." The first coinage reform in the Papal States was implemented in the early 1830's during the reign of Gregory XVI (1831-46). All the doppie, zecchini, guili, testoni, etc., were dropped in favor of a silver scudo divided into one hundred baiocchi. This type was struck for Pius IX 1858-65. A slightly revised type, KM 1320a, which was 5.33 g, 0.835 fine silver, was struck 1865-66. Another coinage reform in 1866 dropped the scudo in favor of the lira used in the rest of the kingdom of Italy. This date comes with year XV or XVI on the obverse; neither obtains a premium.
Specification: 5.71 g, 0.800 fine silver, 24.5 mm diameter, .147 troy oz ASW, reeded edge.
Recorded mintage: 2,987,000.
Catalog reference: KM-1360, Berman-3313.
- Berman, Allen G., Papal Coins, South Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1991.
- Gigante, Fabio, Gigante 2016: Catalogo Nazionale delle Monete Italiano Dal '700 All'Euro, 24a ed. Varese, Italy, 2015.
- Montenegro, Eupremio, Montenegro 2015: Manuale del Collezionista di Monete Italiane, 30 ed., Torino, Italy: Montenegro s.a.s., 2014.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Francesco Muntoni, Le Monete del Papi e Degli Stati Pontifici, 4 vols. Rome: P & P Santamaria, 1973.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The May 2020 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.
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