Sardinia 1825(g) P 80 lire
This specimen was lot 31202 in Heritage sale 3064 (Chicago, April 2018), where it sold for $1,320. The catalog description[1] noted, "Sardinia. Carlo Felice gold 80 Lire 1825 (Anchor)-P AU55 NGC, Genoa mint. A scarcer issue, with a mintage of 8,465 pieces, this exceptional borderline example exhibits a good deal of underlying luster and only the slightest degree of gentle wear and contact marks. Almost never encountered finer, this specimen would serve as an attractive representation of the type." 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. The king was rewarded by Metternich with the republic of Genoa, which he added to his territory and opened a branch mint there in addition to his existing mint at Turin. The Turin mint used an eagle's head as a mintmark while coins struck at Genoa (shown here) sported an anchor.
Recorded mintage: 8,465.
Specification: 25.8 g, 0.900 fine gold, 33 mm diameter, lettered edge.
Catalog reference: KM 123.2, Fr-1133, Mont-06.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- 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.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach and Warren Tucker, Heritage World Coin Auction 3064, featuring the Doug Robins Collection of Canadian Tokens, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2018.
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