Coins

What you will find among the coins

This section gathers all the collector coins in the catalogue. Most pieces are gold; next come silver coins and a few pieces in other metals. The periods range from the medieval gold ducats of Venice to today's euro coins. The coins are divided by area:

• Savoy - Kingdom of Italy: the coins of the Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946), arranged by sovereign: Vittorio Emanuele II, also as “Re Eletto” (King Elect), Umberto I and Vittorio Emanuele III.
• House of Savoy: the coins of the Savoy before Unification, mainly gold 20, 40, 80 and 100 Lire of Vittorio Emanuele I, Carlo Felice and Carlo Alberto.
• Italian Regional Coins: the coins of the pre-unification states, such as Venice, Genoa, Milan, Florence, Naples and the Papal States.
• Italian Gold Coins and Foreign Gold Coins: collector gold coins in two lists, Italian and foreign.
• Italian Republic, with the gold coins and the silver coins: lire from 1946 to 2001, Mint sets and collector euro coins.
• Vatican, Vatican Gold and San Marino: annual issues, coin sets, commemorative euro coins and gold coins.
• Italian Colonies and Foreign Coins: coins of the colonies and foreign coins in silver and other metals.

How to read the name and the item page

The name of a coin usually gives the state or sovereign, the denomination, the year, the mint or type, then rarity and grade. For example, ‘Vittorio Emanuele III, 20 Lire 1912 “Aratrice” Raro qFDC’ is a 20 Lire of 1912 of Vittorio Emanuele III, “Aratrice” type, rare, in About Uncirculated condition.

The grade tells you how worn the coin is:

• FDC, Uncirculated: a coin that has never circulated, with no wear. qFDC, About Uncirculated: very few marks.
• SPL, Extremely Fine, and qSPL, about Extremely Fine: light traces of wear on the high points.
• BB, Very Fine: light wear, with all details clearly legible. MB, Fine: more evident wear.
• FS, Proof: a strike for collectors with mirror-like polished fields.

The “+” sign marks a piece slightly better than the grade; two grades joined, such as qFDC/FDC, indicate a grade between the two. Rarity runs from R1 (rare) to R5 (of the highest rarity) on the scale of the reference catalogues; in the catalogue it is also given in words, in Italian: Raro, Molto Raro, Rarissimo, Estremamente Raro (rare, very rare, extremely rare, exceedingly rare). On every item page you can hover over the code to read its explanation.

Collecting or investment

The coins in this section are collector coins: besides the metal, year, mint, rarity and grade count. If you are looking for gold or silver to buy mainly for the metal, see Investment Gold Coins and Investment Silver: there the price follows the metal price and is locked when you confirm your order. A selection of rare pieces is gathered in Investments – Rarities.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find a specific coin?

Open the subcategory of the sovereign or state, then use the filters for metal, period, grade, price and rarity.

Can I get more information about a piece?

Yes. Every item page has a photo of the coin and the “Ask about this piece” button.

How do I receive the coins?

By insured shipping, at a rate that depends on the order value, or by collecting them free of charge at our branches in Verbania (via Ruga 12) or Milan (via San Raffaele 1). Payment is by bank transfer.

Do you also buy coins?

Yes. If you have coins to sell, write to us with a few photos or visit one of our two branches.