Italian States Sardinia 100 Lire Gold Coin 1836 King Charles Albert

Italian States Sardinia 100 Lire Gold Coin 1836 King Charles Albert of Sardinia

Obverse: Head of Charles Albert of Sardinia, at the truncation, engraver's signature (Ferraris) and the date in exergue.
Obverse Legend: CAR ALBERTVS D. G. REX SARD. CYP. ET HIER (Charles Albert, by the grace of God, King of Sardinia, Cyprus and Jerusalem).
Engraver: Giuseppe Ferraris.

Reverse: Crowned shield, bearing arms of Savoy, draped with the order chain and order of "The prophecy of Maria" inclosed between two branches of laurel, crossed. Value 'L.100.' divides mint marks at bottom.
Reverse Legend: DVX SAB. GENVAE ET MONTISF. PRINC. PED. (Dux Sabaudiae, Genuae et Montisferrati, Princeps Pedemontium - Translation: Duke of Savoy, Genoa and Montferrat, Prince of Piedmont)
Engraver: Giuseppe Ferraris.

Composition: Gold.
Fineness: 0.900.
Weight: 32.25 g.
AGW: 0.9331 oz.
Diameter: 34 mm.
Mint mark: Anchor (Genova).

King Charles Albert of Sardinia
Charles Albert I (Italian: Carlo Alberto I; 2 October 1798 – 28 July 1849), also called The Hesitant for his variable political lines, was the King of Sardinia from 1831 to 1849. His name is bound up with the first Italian constitution, the Albertine Statute, and the First Italian War of Independence (1848–1849). He abdicated after his forces were defeated by the Imperial Austrian army at the Battle of Novara (1849), and died in exile soon thereafter.
  He was born in Turin in October 1798, to Charles Emmanuel, Prince of Carignano and Maria Cristina of Saxony. His father was the great-great-great-grandson of Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano, youngest legitimate son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, and founder of the Savoy-Carignano line of the House of Savoy. He was the third cousin once removed of Victor Amadeus III, and the next male-line heir after the three sons of Victor Amadeus. When Charles Albert was born in 1798, none of his cousins had a son, making him the likely eventual successor on the throne of Sardinia-Piedmont.
  He was educated in the intellectually liberal atmosphere of Geneva, then in Paris during the First French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon named him a lieutenant of dragoons in 1814. After the final fall of Napoleon the following year, Charles Albert returned to Turin. Two mentors were entrusted with countering the dangerous ideas about "national liberation" ("liberté, égalité, fraternité/liberty, equality, fraternity") Charles had learned in France. However, he continued to display some sympathies with the liberals.

Reign
In 1821, as regent for the Kingdom in the absence of the new king, Charles Felix (then in Modena), he conceded a "constitution" that was soon disavowed by the king. Charles Felix sent him to Spain, to serve with the French army that King Louis XVIII of France sent to suppress the liberal revolution there and restore Ferdinand VII. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Trocadero in 1823, which gained him the favor of the leading conservative European power, the Austrian Empire, and also of King Charles X of France (who succeeded in 1824).
  Charles Albert succeeded his cousin Charles Felix to the throne of Sardinia in 1831. Although an Italian patriot who allegedly was opposed to the Austrian hegemony and domination in Northern Italy, he put down Mazzini's 1833 conspiracy. He introduced a series of reforms following the many Revolutions of 1830 that convulsed Europe. He abolished domestic customs and trade barriers within the Kingdom, supported the arts and sciences, and promulgated the Statuto Albertino, a constitution. The Statuto was inspired by the earlier reforms of Louis Phillippe, the new moderate "King of the French", of the new kingdom of Belgium, and even later the reforms and parliamentary laws instituted in Great Britain.
  During the Revolutions of 1848, he agreed to a constitutional regime which remained in place for the century that the Kingdom of Italy lasted. The same year he declared war on Austria. The small army of Piedmont was supported by volunteers from the whole of Italy. However, after his initial victories lost him the support of the Pope and the other Italian rulers, he was defeated at Custoza (24 July 1848), and forced to sign an armistice at Vigevano on 9 August. Under the increasing influence of the Republicans in Piedmont, he resumed the war the next year. But the Piedmontese were again defeated, at Novara. Rather than redrawing the Statute, he abdicated in favor of his son, Victor Emmanuel, and went into exile in Portugal.
  He died at Porto the same year. His remains were transferred to the Basilica of Superga.

Italian States Coins 80 Lire Gold Coin 1829 King Charles Felix of Sardinia

Italian States Coins 80 Lire Gold Coin 1829 King Charles Felix of Sardinia

Obverse: Head of Charles Felix of Sardinia, at the truncation, engraver's signature (A. Lavy) and the date in exergue.
Obverse Legend: CAR. FELIX D. G. REX SAR. CYP. ET HIER (Charles Felix, by the grace of God, King of Sardinia, Cyprus and Jerusalem).
Engraver: Amedeo Lavy.

Reverse: Crowned pointed shield, bearing arms of Sardinia, Cypria, Jerusalem and Montferrat, with a shield of pretence, bearing an eagle, with cross of Savoy on its breast : the collar of the order and order of "The prophecy of Maria" suspended from the sides of the shield, the whole inclosed by branches of laurel, value 'L.80.' divides mint marks at bottom.
Reverse Legend: DVX SAB. GENVAE ET MONTISF. PRINC. PED. (Dux Sabaudiae, Genuae et Montisferrati, Princeps Pedemontium - Translation: Duke of Savoy, Genoa and Montferrat, Prince of Piedmont).
Engraver: Amedeo Lavy.
Edge Lettering: FERT - FERT - FERT - The motto of the Royal House of Italy, the House of Savoy.

Composition: Gold.
Fineness: 0.900.
Weight: 25.8 g.
AGW: 0.7465 oz.
Diameter: 33 mm.

King Charles Felix of Sardinia
Charles Felix (Carlo Felice Giuseppe Maria; 6 April 1765 – 27 April 1831) was the Duke of Savoy, Piedmont, Aosta and King of Sardinia from 1821 to 1831.

Carlo Felice di Savoia was born in Turin as the eleventh child and fifth son born to Victor Amadeus III of Savoy and Maria Antonietta of Spain. His paternal grandparents were Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy and his German wife Polyxena Christina of Hesse-Rotenburg. His maternal grandparents were French born King Philip V of Spain and his Italian wife Elizabeth Farnese.
  He was a younger brother of two other rulers of Savoy Charles Emmanuel IV and Victor Emmanuel I. He spent his childhood with his sister Maria Carolina and Count of Moriana where they lived at the Castle of Moncalieri. Carlo Felice was reported as having a closed character, prone to loneliness, with an almost ascetic (which for some time, had flashed the ecclesiastical career) and a sacral conception of the monarchy and the right to reign. With the Napoleonic occupation of Piedmont in 1796, he lost the crown of Savoy, the Duchy of Savoy and area of Genevois. Carlo Felice, who was titled Duke of Genoa, obtained the title of Marquis of Susa in compensation for his nominal loss.
  He was a younger brother of Charles Emmanuel IV and Victor Emmanuel I. He was not expected to ever succeed to the throne. However Charles Emmanuel never had any children and abdicated the throne on 4 June 1802. Victor Emmanuel had four living daughters when he abdicated the throne in 1821. As the succession was regulated by the Salic Law, Charles Felix succeeded his brother on the throne.
  Since Charles was in Modena at the time of his succession, he appointed as Regent his cousin, and heir, Charles Albert (of the Carignano branch of the Savoy family). Charles Albert was in touch with the liberal revolutionaries at that time, and immediately granted their request for a constitution. All this occurred between the 6 and 14 March 1821.
  Even before he reached Turin, Charles Felix repudiated the Regent's promise and, to help restore order, called in the Austrians, who stayed in Piedmont till 1823. In that same year Charles Albert went to Spain to extinguish by force of arms the last sparks of revolt, making himself an object of hatred as the betrayer of Italian liberalism, but regaining the confidence of the King, who might have chosen another successor.
  Charles Felix was a true reactionary, convinced that the world would soon be swept clean of all those - in his view - wicked and sacrilegious innovations introduced by the French Revolution and diffused throughout Europe by Napoleon Bonaparte "the rascal" as he called him.
  He was married by proxy to Princess Maria Cristina of Naples and Sicily (17 January 1779 – 11 March 1849) on 7 March 1807. She was a daughter of Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Maria Carolina of Austria, (1752-1814), sister of the famous Marie Antoinette (1755-1793), later Queen of France .
  Charles Felix died without issue, in Turin at the Palazzo Chablais which had been given to him by his sister Princess Maria Ana of Savoy, after a reign of ten years. He was succeeded by the senior male member of his dynastic house, the regent Charles Albert (1798-1849).

  The Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa is named for him.
  The principal road of the island of Sardinia, the Strada statale 131 Charles Felix, which connects the towns of Cagliari and Sassari-Porto Torres, constructed in the 19th century, is named for him.

FERT
FERT (sometimes tripled, FERT, FERT, FERT), the motto of the Royal House of Italy, the House of Savoy, was adopted by King Vittorio Amedeo II (1666–1732).

It appeared for the first time on the collar of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation or Ordine Supremo della Santissima Annunziata, the primary dynastic order of the kingdom. This ceased to be a national order when Italy became a republic in 1946. The order remains under the jurisdiction of the head of the House of Savoy, however, as hereditary Sovereign and Grand Master.

The meaning of the letters has been a matter of some controversy, to which a number of interpretations have been offered. The motto is believed an acronym of:

 - Foedere et Religione Tenemur (Latin: "We are bound by treaty and by religion");
 - Fortitudo Eius Rhodum Tenuit (Latin: "His strength conquered Rhodes" or "By his bravery he held [or occupied] Rhodes"), referring to the victory of Amadeus V, Count of Savoy (1249–1323), who fought against the Saracens at the 1310 siege of Rhodes; or either
 - Fortitudo Eius Rempublicam Tenet (Latin: "His bravery [or strength] preserves [or defends] the state"); or
 - Fides Est Regni Tutela (Latin: "Faith is the protector of [our] Kingdom").

It has also been suggested that the letters are actually the Latin word fert (third-person singular present active indicative of ferre), meaning " [he] suffers / bears", possibly referring to Jesus bearing the sins of the world.

Italian States Naples & Sicily 15 Ducati Gold Coin 1818 King Ferdinand I

Italian States Naples & Sicily 15 Ducati Gold Coin 1818 Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies

Fifteen Ducati or Five Oncette Piece of Ferdinand I.

Obverse: Crowned head of Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies, facing to the right.
Legend: " FERDINANDVS I. DEI GRATIA REX " (Ferdinand I., by the grace of God, King.)
Exergue: Date of the year of issue.

Reverse: An angel, full figure, beside a column, upon which lies a cushion, and upon the cushion a royal crown, the right hand of the angel resting upon the cushion, his left hand resting on an oval shield, upon which are the three lilies of the Bourbon dynasty.
Exergue: "TRAPP 21 25/100 TITOLO MILLESIMI 996 DUCATI 15" (Trappesi 21 25/100 equal to 292.180 grains Troy. Millesimi 996, equal to 996 fine; Ducati 15 = 15 Ducats.)

Weight: 292.180 grains.
Fineness: 996.

King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I, (born Jan. 2/12, 1751, Naples — died Jan. 4, 1825, Naples), king of the Two Sicilies (1816–25) who earlier (1759–1806), as Ferdinand IV of Naples, led his kingdom in its fight against the French Revolution and its liberal ideas. A relatively weak and somewhat inept ruler, he was greatly influenced by his wife, Maria Carolina of Austria, who furthered the policy of her favourite adviser, the Englishman Sir John Acton.
  Ferdinand became king of Naples as a boy when his father ascended the Spanish throne (1759) as Charles III. A regency ruled during Ferdinand’s minority and continued the liberal reforms of the previous king. In 1767 Ferdinand reached his majority, and his marriage in 1768 to Maria Carolina signalled a reversal of this policy. The birth of a male heir gave Maria Carolina the right, according to the marriage contract, to enter the council of state (1777). She brought about the downfall of the former regent Bernardo Tanucci and engaged Naples in the Austro-English coalition against the French Revolution in 1793.
  Ferdinand, encouraged by the arrival of the British fleet of Admiral Horatio Nelson, attacked the French-supported Roman republic in 1798. On December 21 of that year, however, the French invaded Naples, declaring it the Parthenopean Republic, and Ferdinand fled to Sicily. The Republic was overthrown in June 1799, and Ferdinand returned to Naples, where he put to death the Republic’s supporters, violating the terms of their surrender.
  In 1806 Napoleon’s army captured Naples, forcing Ferdinand’s flight to Sicily, where, yielding to British pressure to mitigate his absolutist rule, he removed Maria Carolina from the court, appointed his son Francis as regent, and granted the Sicilians a constitution. With the fall of Napoleon, he returned to Naples as Ferdinand I of the united kingdom of the Two Sicilies (December 1816). His renewal of absolute rule led to the constitutionalist uprising of 1820, which forced Ferdinand to grant a constitution. Having ceded power again to his son Francis, Ferdinand, under the pretext of protecting the new constitution, obtained his parliament’s permission to attend the Congress of Laibach early in 1821. Once there, he won the aid of Austria, which overthrew Naples’ constitutional government in March. The subsequent reprisals against the constitutionalists were his last important official acts before his sudden death.

Italy Kingdom of Napoleon Gold Coins 40 Lire 1808

Italy Kingdom of Napoleon Gold Coins 40 Lire 1808

KINGDOM OF ITALY UNDER NAPOLEON I GOLD COINS 18O5-1814

Obverse: Head of Napoleon I., below, the date of the year of issue, and " M." (Mint-mark of Mantua), beneath.
Legend: " NAPOLEONE IMPERATORE E RE " (Napoleon, Emperor and King).

Reverse: Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Italy under Napoleon Bonaparte - The French eagle, with a shield upon its breast, draped with an order chain and star; a shield of pretence, bearing the iron crown of Mantua : behind the eagle are two " O spears in saltiere, the whole being displayed upon a mantle of ermine, draped from a crown ; beneath is the denomination: "40 LIRE."
Legend: " REGNO D'ITALIA " (Kingdom of Italy).
On the edge is inscribed: "DIO PROTEGGE LA ITALIA" (God protects Italy).

Weight: 199.123 grains.
Fineness: 900.
Kingdom of Napoleon Gold Coins

Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Italy under Napoleon Bonaparte:
The arms show a Roman eagle as a supporter, on its breast a shield, with a silver pale charged with the blue Milanic serpent (spitting out - as it is originally meant - the first human). Both sides of the pale are divided horizontally. The upper right field shows the papal parasol with the keys of Saint Peter. The upper left shows the Venetian lion, but without bible and with a Phrygian cap (revolutionary symbol) on its head. The lower right quarter shows the white eagle of the house of Este (for Modena) and the lower left shows the arms of Piemonte, but under to the right charged with a silver tower (for Rovigo and Feltre). The shield is charged with an escutcheon showing the Iron Crown of Lombardy (with pinnacles) in a red border with silver rings. Around the shield is the order of the Legion d'Honneur. Above the eagle rises the Napoleonic star.

Kingdom of Italy under Napoleon
The Kingdom of Italy (Italian: Regno d'Italia; French: Royaume d'Italie) was a French client state founded in Northern Italy by Napoleon I, fully influenced by revolutionary France, that ended with his defeat and fall. It was governed throughout its existence by Napoleon's step-son, Eugène de Beauharnais, who served as Viceroy for his step-father.
  The Kingdom of Italy was born on March 17, 1805, when the Italian Republic, whose president was Napoleon Bonaparte, became the Kingdom of Italy, with Napoleon I as King of Italy, and the 24-year-old Eugène de Beauharnais his viceroy. Napoleon I was crowned at the Duomo di Milano, Milan on May 26, with the Iron Crown of Lombardy. His title was "Emperor of the French and King of Italy" (French: Empereur des Français et Roi d'Italie), showing the importance of this Italian Kingdom for him.
  Originally, the Kingdom consisted of the territories of the Italian Republic: former Duchy of Milan, Duchy of Mantua, Duchy of Modena, the western part of the Republic of Venice, part of the Papal States in Romagna, and the province of Novara.
  After the defeat of the Third Coalition and the consequent Treaty of Pressburg, on May 1, 1806, the Kingdom was given by Austria the eastern and remaining part of the Venetian territories, including Istria and Dalmatia down to Kotor (then called Cattaro), even if it had to give Massa and Carrara to Elisa Bonaparte's Principality of Lucca and Piombino. The Duchy of Guastalla was annexed on May 24.
  With the Convention of Fontainebleau with Austria of October 10, 1807, Italy ceded Monfalcone to Austria and gained Gradisca, putting the new border on the Isonzo River.
  The conquered Republic of Ragusa was annexed in spring 1808 by general Marmont. That was the only time in modern history that Ragusa was united to Italy. On April 2, 1808, following the dissolution of the Papal States, the Kingdom annexed the present-day Marches. At its maximum extent, the Kingdom had 6,700,000 inhabitants and was composed by 2,155 communes.
  The final arrangement arrived after the new defeat of Austria: Emperor Napoleon and King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria signed the Treaty of Paris on February 28, 1810, deciding an exchange of territories involving Italy too.
  On rewards in Germany, Bavaria ceded southern Tirol to the Kingdom of Italy, which in its turn ceded Istria and Dalmatia (with Ragusa) to France, incorporating the Adriatic territories into newly created the French Illyrian Provinces. Small changes to the borders between Italy and France in Garfagnana and Friuli came in act on August 5, 1811.
  In practice, the Kingdom was a dependency of the French Empire.
  The Kingdom served as a theater in Napoleon's operations against Austria during the wars of the various coalitions. Trading with the United Kingdom was forbidden.

Currency
The kingdom was given a new national currency, replacing the local coins circulating in the country: the Italian lira, of the same size, weight, and metal of the French franc. Mintage being decided by Napoleon with an imperial decree on March 21, 1806, the production of the new coins began in 1807. The monetary unit was the silver lira, which was 5 grams heavy. There were multiples of 2 Lire (10 grams of silver) and 5 Lire (25 grams of silver), and precious coins of 20 Lire (6.45 grams of gold) and 40 Lire (12.9 grams of gold). The lira was basically divided in 100 cents, and there were coins of 1 cent (2.1 grams of copper), 3 cents (6.3 grams of copper), and 10 cents (2 grams of poor silver), but following the tradition, there was a division in 20 soldi, with coins of 1 soldo (10.5 grams of copper, in practice 5 cents), 5 soldi (1.25 grams of silver), 10 soldi (2.5 grams of silver), and 15 soldi (3.75 grams of silver).

Vatican coins 20 Lire Gold Coin 1869, Pope Pius IX.

Papal States Vatican coins 20 Lire Gold Coin, Pope Pius IX, minted in 1869 (Year XXIV).
Italian coins, Italian Coinage, Italian silver coins, Numismatic Collection, Coins of Italy best silver coins for investment, Italian Gold Coins, Italian States Coins, Coins of Italy, Coins of the Papal States, Gold coins of Italy, Vatican Coins, Vatican Gold Coins, Italian colonial coins.


Reverse: Bust of Pope Pius IX left, wearing zucchetto, mozetta, and stole.
Legend: PIVS . IX . PON - M . A . XXIV § * §

Obverse: Denomination (20 LIRE) and date (1869) within wreath. Mint inital (R) of Rome below.

Mint Place: Rome (R)
Mintage: 76,000 pcs
Diameter: 21 mm
Weight: 6.42 gram of Gold (.900)

Pope Pius IX

Blessed Pope Pius IX (Latin: Pius IX; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878), born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was Pope from 16 June 1846 to his death in 1878. He was the longest-reigning elected pope in the history of the Catholic Church — totalling nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council (1869-1870), which decreed papal infallibility, but the council was cut short.
Pius IX defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, meaning that Mary was conceived without original sin. Pius IX also granted the Marian title of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, a famous Byzantine icon from Crete entrusted to the Redemptorist priests.
In addition to this, Pius IX was also the last pope to rule as the Sovereign of the Papal States, which fell completely to Italian nationalist armies in 1870 and were incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy. After this, he was referred to as the "Prisoner of the Vatican".
After his death in 1878, his canonization process (which opened on 11 February 1907) drew considerable controversy and was closed on at least one occasion, before Pope John Paul II proclaimed him Venerable on 6 July 1985. He was beatified on 3 September 2000 alongside Pope John XXIII, and was assigned the liturgical feast day of February 7, the date of his death.

Vatican Gold Coins 100 Lire coin 1950

Vatican Gold Coins 100 Lire coin of 1950.
Italian coins, Italian Coinage, Italian silver coins, Numismatic Collection, Coins of Italy best silver coins for investment, Italian Gold Coins, Italian States Coins, Coins of Italy, Coins of the Papal States, Gold coins of Italy, Vatican Coins, Vatican Gold Coins, Italian colonial coins.


Tips to shine in investing in gold coins

When world economies shiver and shake, gold prospers.

Gold bullion coins, which sell in the millions weekly, easily tap into gold's rise. American Eagle and Canadian Maple Leaf gold coins have high gold purity and are easily bought and sold through precious metals dealers.

In recent years, some investors had turned to gold exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, to cash in on gold's rise. But lately, people have been moving away from them. Why? Some ETFs don't own the physical gold, instead trading in a gold index. For example, the CBOE Gold Index tracks the price of gold-mining companies. Gold ETFs may even trade in gold futures contracts, making them risky investments (Precious Metals Investing For Dummies).

That's why prefers gold bullion coins. For example, the Maple Leaf is 24-karat gold, mimicking gold's spot price and joining in its rise. Given that UBS and Goldman Sachs have said gold will be a top-performing asset in 2013, gold coins may rise in lock step.
The downside of gold coins

Before plunking down hard cash, know that investing in gold coins can have its downside. Prices fluctuate wildly. Gold coins aren't meant for trading - Hold them a minimum of three years.
In addition, dealers typically don't take credit cards for gold purchases. They may not accept orders unless they have the cash in hand first. "So, you must use a bank wire or cashier's check to pay for the coins,".

Selling coins also means laboriously shipping them back to dealers by packing them in coin protectors wrapped in bubble wrap. To track the package, send it via registered mail or Express Mail, or use a service such as FedEx or UPS. The coins should also be insured for their full value.

Here are five tips for buying and selling gold coins.
Tips on gold coins

Stick with North American coins. The Canadian Maple Leaf and American Eagle gold bullion coins are the easiest to buy and sell. Outside the U.S., the 24-karat Maple Leaf rules; inside, the 22-karat Eagle. "And the Eagle's gold content and purity is guaranteed by the U.S. Mint,".
   Indeed, American Eagle coins can even be put into individual retirement accounts, or IRAs.  
  Widely used gold coins also are easier to sell, unlike the South African Krugerrand and the Austrian Vienna Philharmonic gold coins. These coins are mostly bought and sold outside the U.S.
  To compete with the purer Maple Leaf, the U.S. Mint introduced a new gold bullion coin, the American Buffalo, in 2006. Its 24 karats represent the purest coin ever offered by the U.S. Mint. But it's not bought and sold as frequently as the American Eagle, and it's more expensive. "In general, most people don't know about the American Buffalo,".
    Gold bars are even costlier. They typically trade in 10-ounce amounts, but selling can be a chore. These bars can be expensive to ship back to the dealer.
    If you buy gold coins, store your American Eagles or Canadian Maple Leafs in a safety deposit box or a home safe rather than with a dealer. Physical possession is best to avoid dealer scams.
   Compare dealer prices. The U.S. Mint doesn't sell American Eagle gold coins directly. But there is a dealer location tool on the Mint's website. Comparing prices among dealers is easy, too, because coins sell at a premium above gold's spot price, or its delivery price as a commodity. You can find the spot price on precious metals exchange sites such as Monex-com or Kitco-com.
   Paying more than 5 percent premiums for gold bullion coins doesn't make sense. "Aim for the lowest price," he says. And, avoid buying gold on eBay because you can get caught in a bidding war.
   Buy 1-ounce coins. American Eagle coins are issued in four denominations: 1-ounce, one-half ounce, one-quarter ounce and one-tenth ounce. But the fractional coins carry higher premiums above spot prices than the 1-ounce versions. So, it's best to stick with 1-ounce coins.

    Avoid rare coins. Rare coins require more diligence and expertise when buying them. Two coins may look alike but have completely different grades. This difference can add up to thousands of dollars. You should hire a professional grading service and get a certificate of authenticity when buying rare coins - a hassle for most investors.
These professional grading services judge a coin's physical condition, assigning it a grade. "Buying rare coins is more like an art,".
     Uncover dealer buyback policies. While considering gold bullion coins, find out what a dealer charges to sell them. "Every dealer is different, and some may not charge a premium,". It pays to call and find out the policy.
Final warning: All that glitters isn't gold. There are many scams out there. Some red flags include dealers offering free storage or delayed delivery.
"And don't buy from telemarketers because they charge substantially higher commissions,".

Gold coins of Italy 20 Lire Gold coin of 1882

Gold coins of Italy 20 Lire Gold coin of 1882 R.
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COIN CONTAINS .1867 OUNCES OF PURE GOLD
King Umberto I on Obverse of 1882 20 Lire.

Umberto I of Italy

Umberto I or Humbert I (Italian: Umberto Ranieri Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di Savoia, English: Humbert Ranier Charles Emmanuel John Mary Ferdinand Eugene of Savoy; 14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900), nicknamed the Good (in Italian il Buono), was the King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his death.
Umberto's reign saw Italy attempt colonial expansion into the Horn of Africa, successfully gaining Eritrea and Somalia despite being defeated by Abyssinia at the Battle of Adowa in 1896. In 1882, he approved the Triple Alliance with the German Empire and Austria-Hungary.
He was deeply loathed in leftist circles, because of his conservatism and support of the Bava-Beccaris massacre in Milan. He was especially hated by anarchists, who attempted an assassination on him during the first year of his reign. He was killed by another anarchist, Gaetano Bresci, two years after the Bava-Bacharis massacre.

Italian Gold Coins Parma 40 Lire Gold Coin, Marie Louise of Austria, minted in 1815.

Italian Gold Coins - Duchy of Parma 40 Lire Gold Coin, Marie Louise of Austria (French Empress and 2nd wife of Napoleon), mint year: 1815
Italian coins, Italian Coinage, Italian silver coins, Numismatic Collection, Coins of Italy best silver coins for investment, Italian Gold Coins, Italian States Coins, Coins of Italy, Coins of the Papal States, Gold coins of Italy, Vatican Coins, Vatican Gold Coins, Italian colonial coins.


Obverse: Diademed bust of Marie Louise of Austria as Duchess of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla left.
Legend: MARIA LUIGIA PRINC. IMP. ARCID. D' AUSTRIA (privy mark) 1815 (privy mark)

Reverse: Crowne coat of arms of the Duchy of Parma, within order collar.
Legend: PER LA GR . DI DIO DUCH. DI PARMA PIAC. E GUAST. (40 . LIRE )

Mintage: 220,000 only
Mint Place: Milan (Italy)
Reference: KM-32, Friedberg 933. R
Weight: 12.89 gram of Gold (.900)
Diameter: 26 mm

Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma

Marie Louise of Austria (Maria Ludovica Leopoldina Franziska Therese Josepha Lucia von Habsburg-Lothringen; 12 December 1791 – 17 December 1847) was the second wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French and later Duchess of Parma. As such, she was Empress of the French from 1810 to 1814, and subsequently ruler of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla from 1814 until her death.

As the eldest child of Habsburg Emperor Francis II of Austria and his second wife, Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, Marie Louise grew up during a period of continuous conflict between Austria and revolutionary France. A series of military defeats at the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte had inflicted a heavy human toll on Austria and led Francis to dissolve the Holy Roman Empire. The end of the War of the Fifth Coalition resulted in the marriage of Napoleon and Marie Louise in 1810, which ushered in a brief period of peace and friendship between Austria and the French Empire. Marie Louise dutifully agreed to the marriage despite being raised to despise France. She was an obedient wife and was adored by Napoleon, who had been eager to marry a member of one of Europe's leading royal houses to cement his relatively young Empire. With Napoleon, she bore a son, styled the King of Rome at birth, later Duke of Reichstaedt, who briefly succeeded him as Napoleon II.

Napoleon's fortunes began to change dramatically in 1812 after his failed invasion of Russia. The European powers, including Austria, resumed hostilities towards France in the War of the Sixth Coalition, which ended with the abdication of Napoleon and his exile to Elba. The 1814 Treaty of Fontainebleau handed over the Duchies of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla to Empress Marie Louise. She ruled the duchies until her death.

Marie Louise married morganatically twice after Napoleon's death in 1821. Her second husband was Count Adam Albert von Neipperg (married 1821), an equerry she met in 1814. She and Neipperg had three children. After Neipperg's death, she married Count Charles René de Bombelles, her chamberlain, in 1834. Marie Louise died in Parma in 1847.

Italian Gold Fiorino Coin

Italia, Firenze. 1252-1422. AV Fiorino (20 mm, 3.49 g).
Nerio Lippo, mintmaster. Struck second Semester 1347.
Florentine fleur-de-lis
John the Baptist standing facing, raising hand in benediction and holding cross-tipped sceptre.
CNI XII -; Bernocchi 1551; Italian coins, Italian Coinage, Italian silver coins, Numismatic Collection, Coins of Italy best silver coins for investment, Italian Gold Coins, Italian States Coins, Coins of Italy, Coins of the Papal States, Gold coins of Italy, Vatican Coins, Vatican Gold Coins, Italian colonial coins.

Venetian Gold Ducat - Zecchino, Doge Francesco Molin.

Venetian Gold Ducat - Zecchino, mint period: 1646-1655
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the 99th Doge of Venice - Francesco Molin (1646-1655)
Reference: Gamberini 835, Friedberg 1318. R!
Diameter: 21 mm
Weight: 3.47 gram of gold

Obverse: St. Mark standing right, presenting cross topped banner (with small flag!) to kneeling Doge.
Legend: FRANC . MOLINO – S . M . VENET . / DVX (vertical along banner)

Reverse: Christ standing facing, raising hand in benediction and holding Gospels.
Legend: SIT . T . XPE . DAT . Q . TV – REGIS . ISTE . DVCA
Comment: Halo of light (mandorla) with 18 stars around.

Gold ducat of Venice

The Venetian business model of the 1200s was importing goods from the East and selling them at a profit north of the Alps. They paid for these goods with Byzantine gold coins but when the Byzantine emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos backed a rebellion called the Sicilian Vespers in 1282, he debased the hyperpyron. This was just one more in a series of debasements of the hyperpyron and the Great Council of Venice responded with its own coin of pure gold in 1284.
Both Florence and Genoa had introduced gold coins in 1252 and the florin of Florence had become the standard European gold coin. Venice modeled the size and weight of their ducat on the florin, with a slight increase in weight due to differences in the two cities’ weight systems. The Venetian ducat contained 3.545 grams of 99.47% fine gold, the highest purity medieval metallurgy could produce.
Gold ducat types derive from silver ducat types, which were ultimately Byzantine. The obverse shows the Doge of Venice kneeling before St. Mark, the patron saint of Venice. Saint Mark holds the gospel, which is his usual attribute, and presents a gonfalone to the doge. The legend on the left identifies the saint as S M VENET, i.e. Saint Mark of Venice, and the legend on the right identifies the doge, with his title DVX in the field. On the reverse, Christ stands among a field of stars in an oval frame. The reverse legend is the same as on Roger II’s ducats.
Succeeding doges of Venice continued striking ducats, changing only their name on the obverse. During the 1400s, the value of the ducat in terms of silver money was stable at 124 Venetian soldi, i.e. schillings. The term ducat became identified with this amount of silver money as well as the gold coin. Conflict between England and Spain in 1567, however, increased the price of gold and upset this equivalence. At this point, the coin was called the ducato de zecca, i.e. ducat of the mint, which was shortened to zecchino and corrupted to sequin. Leonardo Loredan extended the coinage with a half ducat and subsequent doges added a quarter, and various multiples up to 105 ducats. All of these coins continued to use the designs and weight standards of the original 1284 ducat. Even after dates became a common feature of western coinage, Venice struck ducats without them until Napoleon ended the Venetian Republic in 1797.

Imitations of the ducat of Venice

When the Roman Senate introduced gold coinage either the florin or the ducat could have provided an advantageous model to imitate, but the Florentines who controlled the Senate’s finances ensured that their city’s coin was not copied. Instead, the Roman coin showed a senator kneeling before St. Peter on the obverse and Christ amid stars in oval frame on the reverse in direct imitation of the Venetian ducat. The Popes subsequently changed these designs, but continued to strike ducats of the same weight and size into the 1500s.
Most imitations of the Venetian ducat were made in the Levant, where Venice spent more money than it received. The Knights of Saint John struck ducats with grand master Dieudonné de Gozon, 1346-1353, kneeling before Saint John on the obverse and an angel seated on the Sepulcher of Christ on the reverse. Subsequent Grand masters, however, found it expedient to copy the Venetian types more exactly, first at Rhodes and then on Malta. Genoese traders went farther. They struck ducats at Chios that could be distinguished from the Venetian originals only by their workmanship. These debased ducats were problematic for Venice, which valued its money's reputation for purity. The rarity of ducats that Genoese traders struck at Mytilene, Phocaea, and Pera suggests that Venetians melted those they encountered.

Rome Gold Ducat Coin, Roman Senate.

Vatican, Roman Senate Period Gold Ducat Coin (Fiorino Romano)
Mint Period: 1350-1439 AD
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Obverse: St. Peter standing right, presenting banner to kneeling senator. Gear wheel beneath Senator´s initials (M-B) in fields!
Legend: • S • PЄTRVS • E NATOR • VRBI • / NAS (vertical along banner)

Reverse: Christ standing facing, raising hand in benediction and holding Gospels, surrounded by elliptical halo containing nine stars.
Legend: • ROMΛ CΛPVT MV NDI • S • P • Q • R • (facing head of John the Baptist) •
Expanded: ROMA CAPUT MUNDI - SENATUS POPULASQUE ROMANUS
Translated: "Rome capital of the world, The Senate and People of Rome"

Reference: Friedberg 2, MID VOl II #1 var., CNI 610. RR!
Diameter: 21 mm
Weight: 3.5 gram of gold

This coin is similar to the Venetian ducats. The difference is that on the Venetian coins, the Doge is kneeling before St. Mark. Here, a senator is kneeling before St. Peter.

SPQR is an initialism from a Latin phrase, Senatus Populusque Romanus ("The Senate and People of Rome"), referring to the government of the ancient Roman Republic, and used as an official signature of the government. It appears on coins, at the end of documents made public by inscription in stone or metal, in dedications of monuments and public works, and was emblazoned on the standards of the Roman legions. Since the meaning and the words never vary, except for the spelling and inflection of populus in literature, Latin dictionaries classify it as a formula.

VATICAN GOLD COINS 100 LIRE GOLD COIN of 1934, POPE PIUS XI

VATICAN GOLD COINS - 100 LIRE GOLD COIN of 1934 - POPE PIUS XI
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Metal : GOLD 0.900
Gross weight: 8.8 g 0.28 oz
Diameter: 23 mm

Pope Pius XI

Pope Pius XI, born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (31 May 1856 – 10 February 1939), was Pope from 6 February 1922 to his death in 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929. He took as his papal motto, "Pax Christi in Regno Christi," translated "The Peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ."
Pope Pius XI issued numerous encyclicals, including Quadragesimo Anno on the 40th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's groundbreaking social encyclical Rerum Novarum, highlighting capitalistic greed of international finance, and social justice issues, and Quas Primas, establishing the feast of Christ the King. The encyclical Studiorum ducem, promulgated 29 June 1923, was written on the occasion of the 6th centenary of the canonization of Thomas Aquinas, whose thought is acclaimed as central to Catholic philosophy and theology. The encyclical also singles out the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum as the preeminent institution for the teaching of Aquinas: "ante omnia Pontificium Collegium Angelicum, ubi Thomam tamquam domi suae habitare dixeris" (before all others the Pontifical Angelicum College, where Thomas can be said to dwell).
Achille Ratti was an accomplished scholar, librarian and priest. He celebrated his 60th birthday as a priest on 31 May 1917. Less than five years later, on 6 February 1922, he was elected pope, succeeding Pope Benedict XV, who was only thirty months older and thus from the same generation as Ratti. In those five years, he had short stints as papal nuncio in Poland, in Kamionek, until being forced by the government to leave, and as Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Silvestro e Martino ai Monti and Archbishop of Milan, where he served only a few months before being elected pope.
To establish or maintain the position of the Catholic Church, he fostered and concluded a record number of concordats, including the Reichskonkordat with Germany. During his pontificate, the longstanding hostility with the Italian government over the status of the papacy and the Church in Italy was successfully resolved in the Lateran Treaty of 1929. He was unable to stop the persecution of the Church and the killing of clergy in Mexico, Spain and the Soviet Union. While in Mexico and Spain, the persecution was directed chiefly against the Catholic Church, hostility in the Soviet Union was directed against all Christians but especially against the Eastern Catholic Churches united with the Vatican. He vehemently protested against both Communism and Nazism as demeaning to human dignity and a violation of basic human rights, but heard so little support from the democracies of the West that he accused them of a "conspiracy of silence". Against totalitarian demands, he fostered the freedom of families to determine on their own the direction of education of their children.
In one of his most important encyclicals on the social order of modern society, Quadragesimo Anno, he stated that social and economic issues are vital to the Church not from a technical point of view but in terms of moral and ethical issues involved. Ethical considerations include the nature of private property in terms of its functions for society and the development of the individual. He defined fair wages and branded the exploitation both materially and spiritually by international capitalism. He canonized important saints, including Thomas More, Petrus Canisius, Konrad von Parzham, Andrew Bobola and Don Bosco. He beatified and canonized Thérèse de Lisieux, for whom he held special reverence, and gave equivalent canonization to Albertus Magnus, naming him a Doctor of the Church due to the spiritual power of his writings.
Pius XI created the feast Christ the King in response to anti-clericalism. Pius XI took strong interests in fostering the participation of lay people throughout the Catholic Church, especially in the Catholic Action movement. The end of his pontificate was dominated by defending the Catholic Church from intrusions into Catholic life and education.
He died on 10 February 1939 in the Apostolic Palace and was buried in the grottos of Saint Peter's Basilica.

Italian States Gold Coins Sardinia 20 Lire coin 1826, Carlo Felix

ITALIAN STATES GOLD COINS SARDINIA - 20 LIRE GOLD COIN of 1826, CARLO FELIX
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Metal : GOLD 0.900
Gross weight: 6,45 g
Diameter: 21,2 mm

Sardinian lira

The lira (plural lire) was the currency of the Kingdom of Sardinia between August 6, 1816 and March 17, 1861. It was subdivided into 100 centesimi (singular centesimo) and was equal in value to the French franc (4.5 grams of silver), which had replaced the Piedmontese shield by 1801. Being no more than the Piedmontese version of the franc, it could circulate also in France, as the French coins could circulate in Piedmont. It was replaced at par by the Italian lira. As the great part of the 19th century currencies, it was not affected by significant episodes of inflation during all its existence.
In 1816, King Victor Emmanuel I issued silver 5 lire and gold 20 lire coins. Before his abdication in 1821, he also produced a new golden 80 lire coin.
King Charles Felix followed in 1821 and 1822 minting gold 40 and 80 lire, respectively. He also expanded the new currency in Sardinia which, not having been conquered by Napoleon, had retained its Sardinian shields. Silver 50 centesimi, 1 and 2 lire were added in 1823, followed by copper 1, 3 and 5 centesimi in 1826, and silver 25 centesimi in 1829.
Finally, King Charles Albert added new gold 10, 50 and 100 lire in 1832, while King Victor Emmanuel II continued his father's coinage.
On each coin, the ruling monarch was styled in Latin as King of Sardinia, Cyprus and Jerusalem by the Grace of God on the front side, and Duke of Savoy, Genoa and Montferrat, Prince of Piedmont et cetera on the back side.

Italy Kingdom of Napoleon Gold Coins 40 Lire Coin 1810 Napoleon Bonaparte

Italy Kingdom of Napoleon Gold Coins 40 Lire Gold Coin 1810

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Obverse: Bust of Napoleon I as French Emperor and King of Italy.
Legend: NAPOLEONE IMPERATORE E RE (privy mark) 1810 M (privy mark)
Reverse: Crowned coat of arms with star above eagle with composite shield of the italian sub-states and order around.
Legend: REGON D´ITALIA / 40. LIRE

Mint Place: Milan (Italy)
Reference: Friedberg 5, KM-12.
Material: Gold (.900) - 0.3733 oz. AGW
Weight: 12.85 gm, Diameter: 26 mm

The 40 lira coin was issued by Napoleon's Kingdom of Italy from 1807 to 1814. With a value of 40 lire, also equal to 40 French francs, it was the highest denominated coin struck for use in the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.
The coin is composed of .900 fine gold (90% gold and 10% copper). It weighs approximately 12.903 grams and measures 26 millimeters in diameter. A left-facing effigy of King Napoleon of France and Italy is featured on the obverse, partially encircled by a caption reading "NAPOLEONE IMPERATORE E RE", which translates from Italian to English as "Napoleon Emperor and King". Below the portrait of Napoleon is the coin's year of minting, and directly below that (except on some 1808 examples) is an "M" mint mark, which indicates the coin was struck at the mint in Milan. The coat of arms of Napoleonic Italy is displayed on the reverse, separating the words of the title "REGNO D'ITALIA" ("Kingdom of Italy") to opposite sides of the coin. Underneath the arms is the coin's value, inscribed as "40 • LIRE". The words "DIO PROTEGGE L'ITALIA" ("God protects Italy") are inscribed along the coin's edge. From 1807 to 1814, at least 1,231,430 examples were struck. Three varieties from 1808 are known to exist. 352,000 coins struck that year have no mint mark, 213,000 feature a mint mark and bear incuse edge lettering, and an unknown number carry a mint mark and have raised edge lettering. Of these three varieties, the examples without an "M" are typically sold for higher prices.
A gold 40 lira pattern coin was struck in 1806, but never entered circulation. It is likely to have used the same designs as the coin that was issued just a year later.

Italy Kingdom of Napoleon Gold Coins 20 Lire Gold Coin of 1809

Italy (Kingdom of Napoleon Bonaparte). 20 Lire Gold Coin of 1809.
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Obverse: Head of Napoleon I. as French Emperor and King of Italy.
Legend: NAPOLEONE IMPERATORE E RE (privy mark) 1809 M (privy mark)
Reverse: Crowned coat of arms with star above eagle with composite shield of the italian sub-states and order around.
Legend: REGON D´ITALIA / 20. LIRE

Mintage: 53,000 pieces only.
Mint Place: Milan (Italy)
Reference: Pagani 19, Schlumberger 15, Friedberg 7, KM-11.
Material: Gold (.900)
Diameter: 21 mm, Weight: 6.36gm

The kingdom of Italy was an artificial entity established by Napoleon as a buffer state against Austria. It consisted of Lombardy, Venetia, Modena, and Ancona of the Papal States. The actual ruler was Eugene de Beauharnais, stepson of Napoleon and viceroy of the kingdom.
The kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) was given a new national currency, replacing the local coins circulating in the country: the Italian lira, of the same size, weight, and metal of the French franc. Mintage being decided by Napoleon with an imperial decree on March 21, 1806, the production of the new coins began in 1807. The monetary unit was the silver lira, which was 5 grams heavy. There were multiples of £2 (10 grams of silver) and £5 (25 grams of silver), and precious coins of £20 (6.45 grams of gold) and £40 (12.9 grams of gold). The lira was basically divided in 100 cents, and there were coins of 1 cent (2.1 grams of copper), 3 cents (6.3 grams of copper), and 10 cents (2 grams of poor silver), but following the tradition, there was a division in 20 soldi, with coins of 1 soldo (10.5 grams of copper, in practice 5 cents), 5 soldi (1.25 grams of silver), 10 soldi (2.5 grams of silver), and 15 soldi (3.75 grams of silver).

The 20 lira coin was issued by Napoleon's Kingdom of Italy from 1808 to 1814. It had a value equal to 20 lire, also equaling 20 French francs.
The coin is composed of .900 fine gold (90% gold and 10% copper). It weighs approximately 6.4509 grams and measures 20 millimeters in diameter. A left-facing portrait of King Napoleon of France and Italy is featured on the obverse, partially encircled by a caption reading "NAPOLEONE IMPERATORE E RE", which translates from Italian to English as "Napoleon Emperor and King". Below the effigy of Napoleon is the coin's year of minting, and directly below that is an "M" mint mark, which indicates the coin was struck at the mint in Milan. The coat of arms of Napoleonic Italy is displayed on the reverse, separating the words of the title "REGNO D'ITALIA" ("Kingdom of Italy") to opposite sides of the coin. Underneath the arms is the coin's value, inscribed as "20 • LIRE". The words "DIO PROTEGGE L'ITALIA" ("God protects Italy") are inscribed along the coin's edge. From 1808 to 1814, a total of 450,000 examples were struck.
A gold 20 lira pattern coin was minted in 1806, but never entered circulation. It is likely that this pattern bore the same designs as the coin that actually was issued a few years later.