1622

Italian Republic. Napoleon, as President (1802-1805). Pattern 20 Lire (8 Denari) in Copper (6.43 g)

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / World Coins - World Start Price:1,200.00 USD Estimated At:1,500.00 USD
Italian Republic. Napoleon, as President (1802-1805).  Pattern 20 Lire (8 Denari) in Copper (6.43 g)
Italian Republic. Napoleon, as President (1802-1805). Pattern 20 Lire (8 Denari) in Copper (6.43 g), undated (but likely 1803 or 1804). 24 mm. Milano. NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, bare head of Napoleon r., ANDRIEU F. below. Reverse: REPUBBLICA ITALIANA, scales, crossed sword and palm branch, DENARI · 8 and mintmark below. Montenegro-- (cf.18), KM-- (cf.PN24). The module and the reverse are that of the rare 20 Lire patterns listed in Montenegro and KM (which depict an unsigned bust and the inscription BONAPARTE PRESIDENTE, and the dates 1804 III on the obverse). The obverse here, with a fine portrait by Bertrand Andrieu, was likely engraved in Paris for use in France. Its use on the Italian pattern may indicate a trial before the proper Italian die had been prepared. It has always seemed enigmatic that a pattern reverse inscribed DENARI 8 would be widely accepted as one for the 20 Lire denomination. No other example of this cross-national mule has been noted in ACSearch or Coin Archive and this may be the only example known. An important coin for the historical record of both Italy and France. Possibly Unique with a fine pedigree. A few old contact marks on obverse. Extremely Fine. Dr. Feori F. Pepito, Superior Galleries December 14, 1987. Q. David Bowers noted that Dr. Pepito was very willing to chat with him at the first coins show Bowers attended in 1953. He described Pepito as part of the “Old Guard” of numismatics.
Howard D. Gibbs (1895-1970) was a well-known numismatist from Pittsburgh. Beginning his collection in 1902, it included world copper coins, siege pieces, counterstamps, and thalers. However he is best known for his important collection of odd and curious, leading Wayne Homren of the E-Sylum to dub him “prince of primitive money.” All but his primitive collections were sold during his lifetime.
Count Philip Ferrari de La Renotière (1850-1917), was the son of the Italian Duke of Galliera, Raffaele de Ferrari. Upon his father’s death, Ferrari was adopted by the Austrian Count de La Renotière von Kriegsfeld. Ferrari (also spelled Ferrary) at various times held citizenship in Italy, France, Austria, Switzerland and possibly Serbia.
He was most known for having assembled the single most complete world stamp collection, coins being a secondary interest. Unfortunately his Austrian citizenship led to his collections’ seizure by the French government after World War I as war reparations. His non-British coins were auctioned in Paris in the early 1920s.