Parma 1815 20 lire
The Duchy of Parma was a small state bordering on the Duchy of Milan. It fell to the Spanish Hapsburgs in the 1500's and to the Austrian Hapsburgs in 1714 and was occupied by Napoleon in 1796. After his fall, it was granted to his wife, Maria Louisa of Austria, and was held by her until her death in 1847. It then passed to the Bourbons who ruled in Naples and then to the king of Italy in 1860. It has been part of Italy since.
The Duchess issued a series of coins from a copper centesimo to a gold forty lire, of which this specimen, a gold forty lire, was a part. All were struck to French standards. This type was struck in 1815 and 1832 but the first date is the most available. This specimen was lot 1189 in Stacks-Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2015), where it sold for $1,880. The catalog description[1] noted, "ITALY. Parma. 20 Lire, 1815. NGC AU-58. Nice strike with attractive luster."
Recorded mintage: 12,000.
Specification: 6.45 g, 0.900 fine gold.
Catalog reference: Fr-934; C-31; Gig-3; Mont-113.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Ponterio, Richard, The January 2015 NYINC Auction: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, Featuring the John W. Adams and Ray Czabor Collections, Irvine, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2014.
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