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- 1837 R VII Italy Silver Scudo Papal States NGC AU58 Pope Gregory XVI
1837 R VII Italy Silver Scudo Papal States NGC AU58 Pope Gregory XVI
This is an excellent example of the Papal States issue of the Italian Silver Scudo. This coin was primarily used for domestic purposes and trade within the Papal States. Research shows that this coin is silver .900 and weighs 26.871 and 38mm in diameter. This coin bears the Rome mint mark. The obverse features Pope Gregory XVI a very well done attractive portrait with a couple great design surprises that makes this coin on you'll wan to add to your collection. Those two design elements is the great well struck detail on the Pope's robe; next is his zucchettos (hat) have these subtle creases as part of the design and it really makes the coin come alive because it looks so authentic.
Pope Gregory was known to be very fiscally conservative. But in 1837 he minted 11,000 of these coins, the largest minted to date of this coin. It is documented that the Pope committed to major defense spending, engineering works and architectural works which would certainly explain the large mintage for this year. However, this coin is scarce with only 2 graded by NGC including this coin.
It's my opinion that many of these were melted down eventually. This is.a cumbersome coin for daily transactions; furthermore these coins were likely used to import materials for projects. It was common to see coins like these melted down and traded in favor of coins like the Mexican 8 Reals which was slightly over 27g and the most accepted coin globally at that time.
Overall, this coin would make an excellent addition to any serious collectible coin portfolio. This coin is professionally authenticated and graded by NGC. The coin is encapsulated in a special holder that also contains the certificate of grade and authenticity.