Very nice coin! Pius VII seems to have been a gentle and very longsuffering man. Will Durant, in his book The Age of Napoleon, writes: "Napoleon himself, between abdications, admitted his misjudgment of Pius VII. 'I always believed the Pope to be a man of very weak character. . . . I treated him harshly. I was wrong. I was blind.' Pius, on the other hand, had never underestimated Napoleon, had in many ways admired him, and showed a certain tenderness for him when his former jailor became a prisoner in turn. When Napoleon's mother complained to the Pope that the English were mistreating her son on St. Helena, Pius begged Cardinal Consalvi to intercede for his fallen foe."
A few new purchases. Franconian Circle (c/m on Henneberg-Ilmenau) Brandenburg-Bayreuth Guatemala Colombia
Originally 2/3 thaler revalued to 60 kreuzer. The counter mark also exists on several other coins if the same size from other states. There are also examples counter marked by Cologne. Done during the second financial crisis in the late 17th century.
I have finally managed to get a coin for my own collection after watching dozens go too high! This 1736 Half Crown has a little damage, where someone has started to drill a hole, but otherwise is presentable, appealing and affordable!
Great story. Which reminds me of my daughter's first communion back in 2014 in Kansas City. Father Farnan at St. Thomas Moore Church (also affectionately known by the women of the parish as Father What-A-Waste because he was allegedly so handsome) - gave the sermon that morning. He described an interview with Napoleon late in his life. Looking back on his long illustrious life, Napoleon was asked what the happiest moment of his life had been. The expectation was that he would say the day he triumphed at the Battle of Austerlitz, or some other historically significant event. Instead, Napoleon claimed the happiest day of his life was at age 7, on the day he made his first communion: "I felt closer to God that day, than I ever have since then".
A profound thought! In the end, it's not our accomplishments in life that matter most but rather our standing before God. Very sweet pictures!
I recently picked up this very nice toned half rupee. Pictures can't really capture the nice flashy surfaces. BRITISH INDIA Time of Victoria, 1837-1901 AR ½ Rupee (24.4mm, 5.84g, 12h) Dated 1862. Calcutta mint, India Obverse: VICTORIA QUEEN, crowned bust of Queen Victoria left Reverse: HALF RUPEE INDIA 1862 in four lines within ornate wreath of roses, thistles, and lotus flowers References: Numista 17813 (type B/II) Mintage: 7,122,000 From the Holland Wallace Collection (1940-2018). Ex Neil Shafer. Nearly mint state, deeply toned with hints of iridescence. Here's a video: While the history of British involvement in India dates back to the beginning of the 17th century, it wasn't until 1858, in the aftermath of the Indian Mutiny of 1857-8, that direct governmental control of the subcontinent was transferred from the British East India Company to the Crown. British rule after the rebellion tended to be more guarded and circumspect; earlier attempts to modernize India and institute social reforms were restrained, and the army was restructured to help prevent any uprisings in the future. This period of Crown rule, called the British Raj, continued until India gained its independence in 1947.