Tuscany 1859 centesimo
This specimen was lot 75305 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, November 2022), where it sold for $120. The catalog description[1] noted, "ITALY. Tuscany. Centesimo, 1859. NGC MS-65 Brown. A small but finely detailed and deeply toned Centesimo, this beautiful piece was issued during the formation of the unified Italian state." The grand duchy of Tuscany was ruled by the Medici family from the mid-1500's until its extinction in 1723. Given to Francis of Lorraine as compensation for the loss of his duchy, it passed to the Hapsburgs on his death in 1765 as a junior appanage, that is, it could never be directly ruled by the emperor himself but a cadet prince. Leopold II ruled the region from 1824 until his overthrow in the general unification of Italy in 1859-61. This coin is from the provisional government organized after his ouster. As it matched the kingdom of Italy one centesimo in module, it may have been allowed to circulated after unification, particularly considering the large quantity made.
Recorded mintage: 25,000,000.
Specification: 1 g, copper.
Catalog reference: KM-C81.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 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.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The November 2022 Collectors Choice Ancient & World Coins Auction, Featuring the Pat Johnson Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
Link to:
- 1859 2 centesimi, provisional government
- 1859 5 centesimi
- 1859 fiorino, provisional government
- 1859 4 fiorini
- Italy 1861-M centesimo
- Coins and currency dated 1859