Urbino (1574-1624) testone
The first specimen was lot 1204 in Sincona sale 76 (Zürich, May 2022), where it sold for 13,000 CHF (about US$15,780 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"ITALY | Gubbio. Francesco Maria II. della Rovere, 1574-1624. Testone o. J. Gubbio. Geharnischtes Brustbild nach rechts mit umgelegtem Mantel. Rv. ° FERETRIA ° Baum (Wappen der Rovere) in der Landschaft des Montefeltro im Abschnitt EVGVBII. Sehr selten. Vorzüglich. NGC AU55. Herrliches Portrait. (duchy of Urbino, Francis Mary II of the Rovere, 1574-1624, undated testone, Gubbio mint. Obverse: armored and mantled bust; reverse: arms over landscape, mintmark in exergue. Very rare, Extremely fine, Wonderful portrait.)"
The second specimen was lot 5613 in Künker sale 386 (Osnabrück, March 2023), where it sold for €17,000 (about US$21,968 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[2] noted,
"ITALIEN, URBINO, Francesco Maria II. della Rovere, 1574-1624. Testone o. J. Pesaro. · FRANC · MARIA · II · VRBINI · DVX · Geharnischtes Brustbild r. darunter PIII//FERE - TRIA Baum (Wappen der Rovere) in der Landschaft des Montefeltro, im Abschnitt · PISAVRI ·. Von großer Seltenheit, besonders in dieser Erhaltung. Hübsche Patina, vorzüglich. (duchy of Urbino, Francis Maria II della Rovere, 1574-1624, undated testone, Pesaro mint. Obverse: armored bust right; reverse: tree (the badge of the Rovere) in the landscape of Montefeltro, mintmark in exergue. Extremely rare, especially in this quality, handsome patina, extremely fine.)"
The collapse of the authority of the pope in the Papal States in the late middle ages allowed many petty lordships to spring up, including Urbino near San Marino, long ruled by the Montefeltre family. The last Montefeltre duke was dispossessed by Cesare Borgia in 1502 and the duchy passed to the della Rovere family. The della Rovere ruled Urbino under papal suzerainty until the extinction of the family in 1626. The SCWC only lists silver and gold scudi from this state.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, the first specimen 9.48 g, the second specimen 9.68 g.
Catalog reference: KM unlisted, Cavicchi 142. Morosinis S. 93,4. the second specimen is Cavicchi 150.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 76, The Annemarie and Gerd Köhlmoos Collection, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2022.
- [2]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 386: Brakteaten | Mainz | Bibliothek Prof. Dr. Niklot Klüßendorf | Mittelalter und Neuzeit | Goldprägungen | Deutsche Münzen ab 1871, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2023.
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