Papal States: Quattrino (?), Benedict XIV

Started by FosseWay, January 15, 2024, 08:26:56 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

FosseWay

Can anyone help me with the precise attribution of the attached? 

It is copper, 21.9 mm, 2.02 g.

The Vatican arms are on one side with BENE / XIV more or less legible. On the other side is St Peter with S. to left of head, PETRVS to r. 

There are a few similar coins on Numista, but no identical ones:

N# 107777 - Gubbio, with St Paul rather than St Peter and a different arrangement of the pope's titles.

N# 182073 - Another, different again.

N# 317286 - Papal States, gold ½ scudo. Although my coin clearly isn't this, this has the best match design-wise as it has abbreviated papal titles and St Peter.


JMP


FosseWay

Thanks, that is very similar.

However, mine seems to be missing the D on BENED. While it's not in the best of condition, it's clear there's no letter alongside the handle of the key above the shield.

Is mine a contemporary forgery, perhaps, or were there varieties such as this?

Figleaf

Benedict XIV's papacy was in the mid 18th century. For the last couple of centuries, small variations in the legends of coins were common. They disappeared only with modern minting machines that allowed making dies from large plaster models, where the placing of letters could be calculated.

Peter 
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.