overstroke Lira di Lucca 1838 over 1834

[carpatic]

Hi. I would like to have your opinion on a coin that just entered my collection:
The Lira of Lucca, KM# 40, was minted in 3 years, 1834, 1837 and 1838.
Mine, worn as it is, clearly has the 1838 millesime. But at a closer look you can see that it was actually overstruck on the 1834. You can clearly see the figure 4 near the edge of the coin and also the extension of the bust.
What could be the point of striking the same coin over another exemplary just 4 years old?
Thanks

[Figleaf]

There is an unc specimen of the 1834 version here. Note how the 4 is aligned with the 3 and the pearl border and how thin the figure 4 is. On your coin, look at the right and bottom of the neck and you will see a die shift. Note how the die shift is smaller than the shift necessary to move the 4 completely to the right of the 8.

I don't have a ready-made solution, but I doubt that the answer is 1838/4. My preferred scenario is that the host coin is a different type, possibly from another Italian state. Keep in mind that the lira was a new denomination so that a lot of new coins were required, while liras from other states had the same specifications.

I am also not sure that what in the enlargement looks like a 4 is actually a 4; if it is, it is not in the same font as the 4 on the unc piece. On the larger picture, it looks more like a 2.

Peter

[carpatic]

My preferred scenario is that the host coin is a different type, possibly from another Italian state.

Thanks. I've followed your lead trying to find a match, but I really could not. The weight of the Lucca lira is unusual, it is smaller than the others. The closest match would be the lira of Savoy, which is 5g ( instead of the 4.72g of the Lucca one), has lettered edge ( instead of reeded) and the bust is much more extended, almost touching the rim. Maybe the most sensitive point, for that era at least, is the silver content. The Savoy lira is 0.900, but the Lucca one is 0.666