Tuscany 1792 1/2 paolo
The first specimen was lot 2761 in Goldberg sale 109 (Los Angeles, January 2019), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted, "Italian States: Tuscany. ½ Paoli, 1792. Ferdinando III. Bust right. Lustrous with iridescent toning. NGC graded MS-63." The second specimen was lot 1550 in Stephen Album sale 45 (Santa Rosa, CA, January 2023), where it sold for $780. The catalog description[2] noted, "TUSCANY: Ferdinando III, 1790-1801, AR ½ paolo, 1792, a wonderful mint state example! PCGS graded MS64, ex Joe Sedillot Collection." Half a paolo was four crazie or 1/20 francescone. These obscure little Italian states coins don't catalog for much but are very difficult to find. This is a one year type. Grand duke Ferdinand was evicted from Tuscany in 1801 by Napoleon and later became archduke of Salzburg after that ecclesiastical state was secularized.
Recorded mintage: 73,704.
Specification: 1.37 g, 0.917 fine silver, 18 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Gig-45, KM-C33.
- [1]Goldberg, Ira, Larry Goldberg, John Lavender, Yifu Che, Jason Villareal and Stephen Harvey, Goldberg Sale 109: the Pre-Long Beach Auction, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 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.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [2]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Norman Douglas Nicol, Auction 45, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2022.
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