Sardinia 1733 scudo Dav-1493
This specimen was lot 42375 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2026), where it sold for $5,040. The catalog description[1] noted, "ITALY. Savoy. Scudo, 1733. Turin Mint. Carlo Emanuele III. PCGS AU-50. A fairly RARE and seldom encountered type, this Savoyard crown displays exceptional originality and displays only minor evidence of gentle handling. The toning presents a pale gray hue with subtle hints of amber, with this piece standing as the finer of just two observed in the PCGS census." The Duchy of Savoy was an Italian state wedged between France and Milan and was often the victim of invasions from both directions. In 1720, the duke acquired the island of Sardinia and promoted himself to king of Sardinia. In 1799, king Carlo Emanuele IV was evicted by Napoleon and the region converted to the Ligurian Republic then annexed to France. Sardinia did not recover her independence until 1815. Despite the substantial mintage, this three year type has a very high catalog value, much higher than this example realized.
Recorded mintage: 200,000 for 1733-34.
Specification: 29.9 g, 0.917 fine silver, 42 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Dav-1493; KM-27.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- Montenegro, Eupremio, Montenegro 2015: Manuale del Collezionista di Monete Italiane, 30 ed., Torino, Italy: Montenegro s.a.s., 2014.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2026 NYINC Showcase Auction, Ancient and World Coins, featuring the Kazmier Wysocki Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
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