Papal States 1866-R 100 lire
The first specimen was lot 5069 in Sincona sale 4 (Zürich, October 2011), where it sold for 5,000 CHF (about US$6,651 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"ITALIEN Vaticano Pio IX. 1846-1878. 100 Lire 1866, AN XXI, Roma. Kl. Kr. Vorzüglich. (Papal States, Pius IX, 1846-78, on hundred lire of 1866 (year XXI), Rome mint. Hairlines, extremely fine.)"
The second specimen was lot 30246 in Heritage sale 3037 (New York, January 2015), where it sold for $5,170. The catalog description[2] noted, "Papal States. Pius IX gold 100 Lire 1866-R Anno XXI AU58 NGC, Rome mint. Massive and with tremendous appeal, this nearly mint-state specimen features lustrous, harvest-gold tone and prooflike fields that glisten upon rotation. Light handling marks, as well as just a hint of highpoint wear are all within the confines of the grade. A relatively low-mintage type, highly attractive and with much allure." This rare and expensive type was struck 1866-69 to the standard of a French hundred francs. The pope was enjoying his last days as an independent potentate; when French troops left in 1870, Italian troops marched in and forcibly unified Rome with the rest of the kingdom of Italy.
Recorded mintage: 1,172.
Specification: 32.25 g, 0.900 fine gold, .933 troy oz AGW, the first specimen 32,27 g.
Catalog reference: Pag. 519. Schl. 143. Fr-278, KM 1383, Ber-3330.
- 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, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Numismatic Coins, Medals & Banknotes: Auction 4, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2011.
- [2]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and Scott Cordry, Heritage Signature Auction 3037, featuring the Empire, the Santa Catarina, the Law and the Santa Maria Collections, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2014.
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