Avignon 1618 1/2 franc

Stack's Bowers 2026 NYINC sale, lot 47840

This specimen was lot 47840 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2026), where it sold for $288. The catalog description^[1] noted, "ITALY. Papal (States of the Church). 1/2 Franc, 1618. Avignon Mint. Paul V. PCGS VF-20." The auctioneers incorrectly attributed this to KM 8, with the legatine arms on the reverse, struck 1608-13. This is KM 12, with a floriate cross on the reverse, struck 1609 and 1617-18. Both are rare. The popes held Avignon and the county of Venaissin until the French Revolution, when it was forcibly annexed to France. The specification we have given is for the French demi-franc of Louis XIII.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 7.09 g, 0.833 fine silver.

Catalog reference: KM-8; Berman-1630.

Sources:

• Berman, Allen G., Papal Coins, South Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1991.
• Francesco Muntoni, Le Monete del Papi e Degli Stati Pontifici, 4 vols. Rome: P & P Santamaria, 1973.
• Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
• ^[1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2026 NYINC Showcase Auction, Ancient and World Coins, featuring the Kazmier Wysocki Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.

Link to:

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• Coins and currency dated 1618