Sardinia 1835(g) P 100 lire
This specimen was lot 1150 in Künker Auction 425 (Osnabrück, July 2025), where it sold for €2,600 (about US$3,682 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"EUROPÄISCHE MÜNZEN UND MEDAILLEN · ITALIEN, SARDINIEN Karl Albert, 1831-1849. 100 Lire 1835, Genua. 29,03 g Feingold. GOLD. Kl. Randfehler, sehr schön-vorzüglich. Aus der Familiensammlung Mohr. (Italy, kingdom of Sardinia, Charles Albert, 1831-49, one hundred lire of 1835, Genoa mint. Minor edge bumps, very fine to extremely 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 (shown here). This type was struck 1832-42 at Turin and Genoa (shown here) and superseded the gold eighty lire of the previous reign. Tho not rare, it is expensive.
Recorded mintage: 8,513.
Specification: 32.25 g, 0.900 fine gold, 34 mm diameter, lettered edge.
Catalog reference: KM 133, Fr-1139; Pagani 140; Schl. 196.
- 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.
- 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.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 425: Gold coins from the Medieval and Modern Times, from the Mohr family collection, e.g. | Silver coins, e.g. highlights of medallic art | German coins after 1871, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2025.
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