What this category covers

Collector's coins of high rarity, almost all in gold:

• Kingdom of Italy: 20 Lire 1860 Bologna of Vittorio Emanuele II "Re Eletto", 50 and 100 Lire 1864, 100 Lire 1880 and 1882 and 50 Lire 1891 of Umberto I, 20 and 100 Lire "Aquila Araldica" of 1902 and 1903, 100 Lire "Aratrice" 1912, "Fascione" 1923, "Vetta d'Italia" 1925 and "Littore" 1936 and 1937 of Vittorio Emanuele III.
• In silver: 5 Lire 1901 and 1914 and 2 Lire 1903 of Vittorio Emanuele III, half scudo of the Piedmontese Republic.
• House of Savoy and pre-unification states: 80 Lire 1821 of Vittorio Emanuele I, Mezzo Carlino 1786 of Vittorio Amedeo III, 20 Lire 1845 of Carlo Alberto, 30 Ducats 1818 of Ferdinand I of Naples.
• Republic and Vatican: the 1946 and 1947 sets, the pattern of the 500 Lire 1957 with the flags against the wind, the 100 Lire 1937 of Pius XI.
• Abroad: 20 Marks of Prussia, Hesse, Brunswick and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, 10 Marks of Lübeck, Swiss 100 Francs 1925, 8 Escudos 1833 of Río de la Plata.

Rarity and grade

Rarity follows the scale of the reference catalogues: R1 rare, R2 very rare, R3 extremely rare, R4 exceedingly rare, R5 of the highest rarity. In a rare coin the grade also counts a great deal: FDC Uncirculated, qFDC About Uncirculated, SPL Extremely Fine. Some pieces are certified and slabbed by NGC, with the grade given in the name, for example MS 63+.

The value of rare coins depends on collector demand and can change: the price paid today does not indicate what the coin will be worth in the future.

Frequently asked questions

How do these differ from investment gold?

Investment coins are valued mainly for the gold they contain: they are in Investment Gold Coins. Here year, mint, rarity and grade also count.

Can I collect the coin in person?

Yes, free of charge in Verbania or Milan. Otherwise we send it by insured shipping, priced according to the order value.

Do you buy rare coins?

Yes. Write to us with a few photos or call in at one of our two premises.