Sardinia 1833(t) P 50 lire
This specimen was lot 2691 in Sincona sale 87 (Zürich, October 2023), where it sold for 1,800 CHF (about US$2,424 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"'ITALIEN Savoyen / Sardinien, Carlo Alberto, 1831-1849. 50 Lire 1833, Torino. Selten. Nur 1'773 Exemplare geprägt. Sehr schön. (Italy, kingdom of Sardinia, Charles Albert, 1831-49, fifty lire of 1833, Turin mint. Rare. Only 1,773 pieces struck, Very fine.)"
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 sported an anchor. This type was struck at Turin 1833 and 1836 and both dates are rare.
Recorded mintage: 1,773.
Specification: 16.12 g, 0.900 fine gold, 27 mm diameter, this specimen 16.06 g.
Catalog reference: KM 137.1, Mont. 28 (R3), Pagani 162, Fr-1140.
- 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.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 87, World Coins and Medals, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2023.
- 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.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
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