Sicily (1504-16) ducat Fr-659
The first specimen was lot 591 in Aureo sale 291 (Barcelona, April 2017), where it sold for €1,000 (about US$1,283 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"Ferran II (1479-1516). Sicília. Triomf. Anv.: Rey en el trono. FERDINANDVS D G R CASTELLE. Rev.: Águila, debajo I(rectificada sobre N)-N. FERDINANDVS D G R SICILE A. La segunda N del nombre del rey en reverso rectificada sobre D. La leyenda del anverso empieza a la 1h del reloj. Rara. MBC+. (kingdom of Sicily, Ferdinand II (1479-1516), ducat. Obverse: king on throne; reverse: eagle, 'I-N' below. Obverse legend begins at 1 o'clock. Rare, choice very fine.)"
The second specimen was lot 1325 in Aureo y Calicó sale 423 (Barcelona, December 2023), where it did not sell. The catalog description[2] noted, "Ferran II (1479-1516). Sicily. Eagle or trionfo. Slight[ly] double-struck. MBC+ [choice very fine]." Altho Ferdinand was king of Aragon from 1479, his claim to the kingdom of Sicily was not made good until 1504, when the army of Louis XII of France was routed. Other gold coins for Sicily during this reign include Fr-657a (double tripolina), Fr-658 (double ducat), Fr-660 (half ducat) and Fr-660a (double trionfo). Sicily remained under Spanish rule until the death of Charles II in 1700.
Reported Mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.48 g, 0.986 fine gold, the first specimen 3,51 g. The second specimen is 3,50 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-659 (listed under Messina), Cru.V.S. 1230 var, Cru.C.G. 3138 var, MIR 237/9 var. The second specimen is Cru.V.S. 1226, Cru.C.G. 3134.
- 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]Sisó, Teresa, Eduard Domingo and Lluís Lalana, Subasta Publica 291: Collección Egara, vol. II y Collección Verdaguer, Barcelona: Aureo y Calicó, 2017.
- [2]Sisó, Teresa, Eduard Domingo and Lluís Lalana, Subasta 423: Subasta Numismatica, Barcelona: Aureo y Calicó, 2023.
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