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ANA Signature Sale 3094 19-20 Aug 2021
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Italy
Milan. Ludovico Maria Sforza gold 2 Testone (2 Ducato) ND (1494-1500) MS63 PCGS, Fr-698, Bellesia-35 (R3), MIR-228/1 (RR), Crippa-1/B (R2). 7.02gm. (mitered head) LVDVICVS' M' | SF' ANCLVS' DVX' MLI, armored bust of Ludovico right / +PP' ANGLE' Q3' CO' AC' | IANVE' D ' 7' | C, armored knight with broom on cuirass, on horseback riding right and brandishing sword; snake on horse's chest, broom on hindquarters. A classical rarity of the Renaissance Milanese series, serving as the perfect embodiment of the golden age of Sforza coin engraving. Captured in lifelike proportions strikingly similar to contemporary representations of him in paintings, the illustrious Duke Ludovico Maria Sforza's bust dominates the obverse, the reverse showcasing the iconic rider motif popularized in medieval numismatic imagery in a newly refined style. Neither side evinces the least bit of waviness or cracking to the planchet, providing an offering that is verifiably choice. A type that rarely occurs on auction outside of Europe, we would note that the last example we offered--only an MS61--achieved $40,800 as part of our August 2019 sale of the Allen Moretti Collection, with this piece being tied for the finest of a mere four certified between NGC and PCGS to date. Notable not least for his status as a renowned patron of Leonardo da Vinci and commissioner of The Last Supper, the association with Sforza further propels this Doppia Ducato as the perfect constellation of historicity and utter scarcity.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/italy/italy-milan-ludovico-maria-sforza-gold-2-testone-2-ducato-nd-1494-1500-ms63-pcgs-/a/3094-33250.s?type=CoinArchives3094
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 40000-60000 USD
Milan. Ludovico Maria Sforza gold 2 Testone (2 Ducato) ND (1494-1500) MS63 PCGS, Fr-698, Bellesia-35 (R3), MIR-228/1 (RR), Crippa-1/B (R2). 7.02gm. (mitered head) LVDVICVS' M' | SF' ANCLVS' DVX' MLI, armored bust of Ludovico right / +PP' ANGLE' Q3' CO' AC' | IANVE' D ' 7' | C, armored knight with broom on cuirass, on horseback riding right and brandishing sword; snake on horse's chest, broom on hindquarters. A classical rarity of the Renaissance Milanese series, serving as the perfect embodiment of the golden age of Sforza coin engraving. Captured in lifelike proportions strikingly similar to contemporary representations of him in paintings, the illustrious Duke Ludovico Maria Sforza's bust dominates the obverse, the reverse showcasing the iconic rider motif popularized in medieval numismatic imagery in a newly refined style. Neither side evinces the least bit of waviness or cracking to the planchet, providing an offering that is verifiably choice. A type that rarely occurs on auction outside of Europe, we would note that the last example we offered--only an MS61--achieved $40,800 as part of our August 2019 sale of the Allen Moretti Collection, with this piece being tied for the finest of a mere four certified between NGC and PCGS to date. Notable not least for his status as a renowned patron of Leonardo da Vinci and commissioner of The Last Supper, the association with Sforza further propels this Doppia Ducato as the perfect constellation of historicity and utter scarcity.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/italy/italy-milan-ludovico-maria-sforza-gold-2-testone-2-ducato-nd-1494-1500-ms63-pcgs-/a/3094-33250.s?type=CoinArchives3094
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 40000-60000 USD