World Coins: Your Newest Acquisition!

Pattern penny by P. Wyon. Withers-390.

 

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You don't see bugs on coins very often. I like the honeybee on this one. Plus, it's a rare date for the issue.

ITALY
Time of Victor Emmanuel III, 1900-1946
CU 10 Centesimi (22.5mm, 5.34g, 6h)
Dated 1919. Rome mint, Italy
Obverse: VITTORIO EMANVELE III RE D’ITALIA, bust of King Victor Emmanuel III left, engraver’s signature below
Reverse: Honeybee on flower; C. 10 to lower right, mintmark to lower left; date below
References: Numista 1960
Mintage: 986,000
1919 was the first year of issue for the newly designed 10 centesimi coin. However, actual minting did not begin until September, with the result that less than a million coins of this date were produced before the end of the year. This ended up being less than 5% of the average of subsequent mintages, making 1919 by far the key date in the series.​

 

Italy was in a real bad way in 1919, famine, etc. In spite of having "won" the war along with their allies, they received nothing in reparations from Germany, Austria, or anyone else. At the Treaty of Versailles, there were huge concessions for the French in particular, but not a thing for the Italians. It played a significant part in Italy siding with Germany in the Second World War.

 

Not a rare coin, they struck 600,000 - yet still the best year of the three year series. Was also struck in 1929 and 1931, a million each year. The coin is much more white than the photos suggest. Also, very solid for an MS62, it's frankly nicer than many of the MS63 slabs out there of the issue. At PCGS, there are only (4) examples graded MS65 with none finer, all dated 1931. Fairly scarce in the lower mint state grades as well, though abundantly available raw in AU which tends to hold the price in check. Pop 7/1 finer in MS65 at NGC, again all but one dated 1931, with a single example dated 1932. The finer example is dated 1931 in MS65+. Far more have been seen at NGC than PCGS in the MS62-MS64 range.

 

Nice! I like those coins. Have yet to get one myself though. Yours is very attractive.

 

I've always liked the Polish issues from the same era, with very similar design elements to this Latvia issue. The Polish coins tend to be much harder to find in mint state without problems, and the price tends to reflect that.

 

My newest-
Wurttemberg, 1741, Kreuzer, NGC MS 65. This thing has super flashy fields!


Ulm, 1761,5 Kreuzers, NGC MS 65. I have this same coin in a Brand pedigreed holder, but this, apart from being a different variety, is better!


Erfurt c/m on Saxe-Meissen.
My second Bruun coin, a Bremen c/m on a Danish 4 skilling.