Vatican City 1952 100 lire
This specimen was lot 31775 in Heritage sale 3064 (Chicago, April 2018), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted, "Pius XII gold 100 Lire 1952 Anno XIV MS64 NGC, Bordering on Gem and with a limited mintage figure of just 1,000 pieces, this attractive selection contains flares of rose color in the protected areas and impeccably bold designs throughout." Normal relations with the Italian government were not restored until Mussolini signed a concordat in 1929, granting the Pope sovereignty over Vatican City. Coinage began that year, struck at the Rome mint. Coins are issued for the Vatican City in symbolic amounts but as they are eagerly saved as souvenirs by tourists, they are not in short supply for collectors. This type, struck 1951-56 for Pius XII, is common as gold coins go. The lira was retired in 1999 when Italy joined the euro.
Recorded mintage: 1,000.
Specification: 5.19 g, 0.900 fine gold, .150 troy oz AGW.
Catalog reference: Fr-290; KM-53.1, Ber-3404.
- Berman, Allen G., Papal Coins, South Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1991.
- 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.
- 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.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach and Warren Tucker, Heritage World Coin Auction 3064, featuring the Doug Robins Collection of Canadian Tokens, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2018.
Link to:
- 1951 100 lire
- 1952 2 lire
- 1952 10 lire
- 1953 100 lire
- Coins and currency dated 1952
- return to coins of the Vatican