500 Lire 1959 Italy .835 silver

Just another thread showing off one of my favorite coins. I just think this coin is beautiful front and back. But I really love the three Columbus ships on the back. The front is laced with detail. What do you all think a coin like this could fetch. I am guessing no more than $30-35. I love that its mostly silver too. I also treasure it because my grandma gave it to me.

Thanks for looking
Larry

 

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Very common coin. If circulated, it worth only the weight of the silver.

 

I bought one recently for about $11 I think, which is the silver value. I agree they are a beautiful coin though.

 

Italian 500£ silver coins were minted for circulation between 1958 and 1967 and for collectors only between 1968 and 2001 (in 1968 silver price rose above 500£ and people stopped spending them, like silver dimes and quarters in 1965).
All of them have Columbus ships, except the 1961 (100th anniversary of Italian unification) and 1965 (700th anniversary of Dante Alighieri birth). All of them are common, if circulated they worth only silver value, if uncirculated a little more. The date is on the edge. Only exception are those dated 1957: they are pattern coins since the official coin was released in 1958. Only 1004 were minted and, in uncieculated conditions, they can worth the abstronomical amount of 20,000$. It's surely the most expensive coin of the Italian Republic.

 

Hello Swervo513,

I agree that it is a beautiful coin. I too like the young girl in medieval dress & the three Columbus ships on the reverse. Keep an eye-out for the first year of issue which has the ship's flags flying against the wind.

 

As, I wrote before, the 1957 coins with the ship's flags flying against the wind are extremely rare and valuable. They cost from 5.000$ to 15.000$ each depends of the grade. They're all in the hands of collectors. They were issued as pattern coins, not intended for being in circulation. Odds to find one randomly are negligible, maybe a bit higher than a 1933 double eagle .

 

Here is the 500 Lire which got me hooked on the coin. :smile

This silver ship's flag is waving into the wind. I never noticed this feature on the model until I researched the 500 Lire coin here at CT.

 

These are very beautiful, especially when toned around the edge like that. Some are in proofs, some in regular strikes. I think Lonegun has hoarded a hundred of these coins.

 

Guess that is one of the reasons why almost every day somebody posts his here. Then again, people would not do that if it wasn't such a great design ...

Christian

 

Its a great coin and lucky you getting nice coins from Grandma!

 

I believe it was Collect89 that got me not only hooked on this coin, but also in love with it. You may like the three ships, but I love the beautiful woman (the ships are cool though). I have two of these and plan on purchasing more.

Your example is probably worth melt at around $8-$12.

 

I am 2/100ths of the way there.

 

I figured your hoard would one day single handedly raise the value of the 500 Lire.

 

One day, one day I shall sit on a pile showering myself in this particular type of 500 Lire coin. :devil:

 

I'll sell you mine for 50$ jk

 

Swervo, I see some low mintage proofs online going for over $120.

 

I'm just kiddin I wouldn't sell it even if I could get 100 bucks. It's a memory from my grammy.

 

An image, from web



Flags against wind and on the bottom left, PROVA (pattern).

petronius :smile

 

No, I wouldn't sell it either. Just saying there is a huge range in values on these coins.

 

Thats a beauty. Where would be the best place to find these coins?