Italy has a rich history when it comes to gold coins, one that spans thousands of years. More recently the island of Sardinia minted this beautiful gold lira which is coveted by coin collectors.

19^th Century Italian Coins

Prior to the reign of King Umberto I, coins were struck in different cities such as Rome, Genoa, Turin and Milan. Starting in 1878, coins started being minted only in Rome. The lira would remain in circulation until it was phased out in favor of the Euro in 2002. Every twenty gold lira coin weighs approximately 6.45 gram and has a 21mm diameter.

Before 1861, Italy was divided into multiple small kingdoms, duchies and states. As such, there was a need for each respective region to mint its own coinage, so there are a variety of different specimens that were struck in different parts of the Italian peninsula and nearby islands. This is also an interesting time period for those interested in coins. The island of Sardinia was ruled by House Savoy, and would ultimately become the hub for a unified Italy. The lira was first minted in Genoa in 1758 and was issued by many other states. The coins which are easiest to find are those which feature Umberto I or Victor Emanuel II. Because of inflation, the coins struck after 1931 are smaller.

Coin Characteristics

The coin’s obverse side displays an image of Carlo Felice which faces left. Known as Carlo Felice Giuseppe Maria in Italian, he became Sardinian King in 1821, and was also the Duke of Piedmont, Aosta and Savoy.” He received military training as a youth, and participated in the war with France that broke out around 1792. The French would occupy the Savoy Duchy along with Nice, which prompted him to send soldiers to Saluzzo. He collaborated with his father in the recon quest of both regions. Beneath his bust one can see the year in which the coin was minted which is 1822.

Carlo Felice is perhaps best known for the military regime he established after the war, and his subjects would nickname him “Carlo Feroce” (Charles the Ferocious) because of the heavy handed nature of his rule and his ability to suppress crime and disorder. He did make a number of improvements to both the economy and agriculture of Sardinia.

It should be noted that the denomination for Sardinian coins also include zecchino, dopia, lira and doppieta. The coins were usually struck using .900 gold and some specimens exist which have been graded as Extremely Fine (XF-45) by the NGC. The most coveted coins are those which display their original gold color with lots of luster and sharp details. The Sardinians didn’t mint a lot of these, with issues being limited to about 7,460, so they can be considered quite rare. This particular coin was struck by the Torino Mint in 1822.