Papal States 1868-R 50 lire
This specimen was lot 30245 in Heritage sale 3037 (New York, January 2015), where it sold for $4,230. The catalog description[1] noted, "Papal States. Pius IX gold 50 Lire 1868-R Anno XXII AU58 NGC. Vibrant and sharp with golden surfaces that are alight with mint bloom. The devices are fully-struck and contain only a bit of wear on the raised points and despite a few marks that are essentially enveloped into the luster upon rotation, this is an example with eye-catching appeal. Certainly a strong representative of this type and with a mintage of only 545 pieces, a rare specimen as well. From The Alexander Collection." This rare and expensive type was struck 1868 and 1870 to the standard of a French fifty 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 (year XXII) plus 257 (year XXIII).
Specification: 16.12 g, 0.900 fine gold, .466 troy oz AGW.
Catalog reference: KM 1388, Fr-279, Ber-3331.
- 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.
- 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, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]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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