Tuscany (1555-69) testone
This specimen was lot 1707 in Künker Auction 425 (Osnabrück, July 2025), where it sold for €7,000 (about US$9,912 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"EUROPÄISCHE MÜNZEN UND MEDAILLEN · ITALIEN, TOSCANA Cosimo I. Medici, 1537-1574, als Herzog von Florenz und Siena, 1555-1569. Testone o. J., Siena. RR Min. bearbeitet, fast vorzüglich. Exemplar der Auktion Cambi 809, Mailand 2023, Nr. 896. (Italy, Cosimo I de Medici as duke of Florence and Siena, 1555-69, undated testone, Siena. Very rare, minor tooling, about extremely fine.)"
Cosimo de' Medici was duke of Florence from 1537, when the republic of Florence collapsed. He conquered the republic of Siena in 1555 and was elevated to grand duke of Tuscany by pope Pius V in 1569, which title he held until his death in 1574.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specifications: 9.08 g, silver, 31 mm diameter, this specimen 8,92 g.
Catalog reference: Montagano 578 (R2).
- [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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