Papal States 1869-R 100 lire
This specimen was lot 1234 in Jean Elsen sale 123 (Brussels, December 2014), where it sold for €3,500 (about US$5,086 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"ITALIE, ETATS PONTIFICAUX, Pie IX (1846-1878), (Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti), AV 100 lire, 1869, an XXIV, Rome. Seulement 624 p. frappées. Extrêmement Rare. Légères traces de monture. Superbe. (Papal States, Pius IX (1846-78), gold hundred lire of 1869, year XXIV, Rome mint, only 624 pieces struck. Extremely rare, traces of mounting, extremely fine.)"
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: 625 (year XXIII) plus 450 (year XXIV).
Specification: 32.25 g, 0.900 fine gold, .933 troy oz AGW.
Catalog reference: Munt-38c; Pag-522; 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.
- 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.
- Montenegro, Eupremio, Montenegro 2015: Manuale del Collezionista di Monete Italiane, 30 ed., Torino, Italy: Montenegro s.a.s., 2014.
- Francesco Muntoni, Le Monete del Papi e Degli Stati Pontifici, 4 vols. Rome: P & P Santamaria, 1973.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 123, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2014.
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