W. C a r e w H a z l i t t Coinage of the European Continent

456 The Coins of Eiirope
Naples at 40 ;
and such figures have no justification
in the
intrinsic superiority. Even for poor specimens the foreign
houses demand extravagant amounts ;
and the difficulty of
obtaining these productions has led to the issue of re-strikes
at the Hotel des Monnaies of Paris. Of the money issued at
Sienna and Modena in the names of Henry
II. and Louis
XIV. a sufficient account appears in the Catalogues.
Napoleon crowned his series of triumphs in Italy by
establishing the royal title in his own person, and placing
on his head the iron crown of the Lombard kings.
The
Kingdoms With this monarchical system,
f
which did not
5 and ern^race
'^fi
Naples, Lucca and Piombino, and Sicily,
was instituted a coinage in all metals dated
between 1806 and 1814: the 40 and 20 lire in gold, the
5, 2, and I lire in silver, the 10 centesimi in billon, and the
soldo, 3 centesimi, and i centesimo in copper. The soldo
of 1806 is scarce. There are also siege-pieces of 1814 for
Palma Nuova
; 50 and 25 centesimi in billon. Of the
copper series there were at least three types of obverse, I 806,
1 8 1 o, and 1 8 1 I but the reverses seem to be identical.
;
A poorly -struck centesimo of 1808 has m.m. V., presumably
for Venice. The 5 lire of I 8 1 2, struck at Bologna,
shews something like a fillet round the head. That of I 808
is quite plain.
The monetary system introduced by the house of Sardinia
calls for no special notice. It consists of the lira and
centesimo and their divisions or multiples, and discards the
soldo and the use of billon. The ordinary mint is Milan ;
it was transferred from Florence in 1861.
The present Italian Government for its African possessions
has struck a series of coins with a crowned bust of the
king and his title on obverse with the date 1891, and on
reverse Colonia Eritrea, with crowned eagle dividing value ;
there are the 5 and 2 lire, the lira, and 50 centesimi. The
piece of 5 lire is described below the eagle as Tallero a
term more intelligible than lira to the African mind familiarised
with the coin of Maria Theresa.