Tag: Italy
-
1919 Italy 20 Centesimi
A re-used coin from the Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy In talking about one of the last Papal States coins, we had a bit of a look at the make-up of Italy in the mid-19th century. Broadly there were three kingdoms (Sardinia, Lombardy-Ventia and the Kingdom of the two Sicilies), three sovereign duchies,…
-
Pope Leo XIII Medallion
A year in very long Roman Numerals When covering the medallions of the popes between the last Papal States coins, and the first Vatican City coins, I was tempted to include this one, but I thought it deserved its own post. I’ve seen variations of this medallion listed in several places and apparently in several…
-
1783 Sicily 1 Grano
A beautiful Italian bird The Kingdom of Sicily was a kingdom which existed in the south of Italy. Originally it included the south portion of mainland Italy, as well as the island of Sicily. However, in 1282, they split up, but evidently couldn’t agree who got to keep the name, so they both ended up…
-
1866 Papal States 2 Soldi
One of the last Papal States coins Pope Pius IX was head of the Catholic Church from 16 June 1846 – 7 February 1878. At over 31 years and 7 months, it is the longest verifiable Papacy. Saint Peter, the first Pope was “head” of the church for 34 or 37 years (30 A.D. to…
-
Roman Republic Aes Grave (Janus & Ship’s prow)
Like many Roman pieces today, (or at least the ones I can afford), here is a coin which looks a bit rough, but has a lot of history. It is a later example of one of the earliest types of Roman coins. It even has a connection to Pompeii. Although not great seafarers, Rome did…
-
Gettone Autofiloviario (Italian bus token)
I’ve previously posted an Italian “Gettone Telefonico” telephone token. As one of the first tokens I encountered, I have a soft spot for these pieces with interesting grooves and details not usually found on coins. Here is another Italian token: According to the American Vecturist Association’s December 1981 issue of Fare Box newsletter, this token…
-
Gettone Telefonico (Italian telephone token)
One of the first tokens I got, in a bag of mixed world coins, was a “Gettone Telefonico” token. With no obvious issuing country, value or year marked on the piece, but thick grooves either side, it was quite different to the coins I was used to collecting. In fact, it does have a year…