Retegno 1686 10 zecchini Fr-989
This specimen was lot 30379 in Heritage auction 3096 (Dallas, TX, March 2021), where it sold for $55,200. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Outstanding Retegno 10 Zecchini. Antonio Gaetano gold 10 Zecchini 1686 AU Details (Obverse Scratched) NGC. Hailing from this small Italian commune, made a barony by Ferdinand II in 1654, this highly elusive multiple remains outside the hands of all but a select group of collectors, due to its extreme scarcity. It appears that no other examples have come to auction in the better part of two decades, and this specimen represents the first example of the type that we have encountered in our history. Inspection reveals a balanced strike, leaving a uniform expression of detail to both sides. The reverse motif features a sphinx atop an ornate crest--a design that is unique to the 10 Zecchini of Retegno, produced only in 1677 and 1686--and is shown here with fully outlined detail to this design, while the corresponding obverse image presents clear sculpting within Gaetano's long curls of hair, cravat, and armor. A sheen of golden luster overlays the surfaces, owing to its faint degree of circulation wear, while isolated scratches to the obverse fields cross through the "VL" of the legend and run vertically toward the rightmost section of the open expanses. Given the clear lack of alternative survivors, a singular bidding opportunity. Ex. Leu Numismatik Auction 84 (October 2002, Lot 1550). From the Paramount Collection."
Coinage from this locale, a commune in the duchy of Milan, is scanty and rare. This type has no photo in the SCWC.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 35 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 34.47 g.
Catalog reference: KM 31, Fr-989, MIR-905 (R5), Bellesia-5 (R4).
- 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.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano and Warren Tucker, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3096, featuring the Paramount Collection of World & Ancient Coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2021.
Link to: