Papal States 1854-R 2-1/2 scudi

Stack's Bowers 2020 ANA sale, lot 23105

This specimen was lot 23105 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Las Vegas, August 2020), where it sold for $660. The catalog description^[1] noted, "ITALY. Papal States. 2-1/2 Scudi, 1854-R Year VIII. Rome Mint. Pius IX. NGC MS-63. A well struck and crisply detailed coin with satiny luster." The first coinage reform in the Papal States was implemented in the early 1830's during the reign of Gregory XVI (1831-46). All the doppie, zecchini, guili, testoni, etc., were dropped in favor of a silver scudo divided into one hundred baiocchi. Gold one, 2½, five and ten scudi were minted at Rome and Bologna until 1865. This type struck for Pius IX 1848 and 1853-63 carried on the standard of Gregory XVI. This specimen is from the Rome mint.

Recorded mintage: 276,000.

Specification: 4.33 g, .900 fine gold.

Catalog reference: Fr-274; KM-1117; Ber-3306; Mont-80.

Source:

• Berman, Allen G., Papal Coins, South Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1991.
• 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.
• Gigante, Fabio, Gigante 2016: Catalogo Nazionale delle Monete Italiano Dal '700 All'Euro, 24a ed. Varese, Italy, 2015.
• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Montenegro, Eupremio, Montenegro 2015: Manuale del Collezionista di Monete Italiane, 30 ed., Torino, Italy: Montenegro s.a.s., 2014.
• ^[1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The August 2020 ANA Auction: World Coins, featuring the Duke of Lansing Collection, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.

Link to:

• 1853-R 2½ scudi
• 1854-B 50 baiocchi
• 1854-B scudo
• 1854-B 2½ scudi
• 1854-R 5 scudi
• 1855-R 2½ scudi
• Coins and currency dated 1854