Duchy of Parma - 20 Lire gold coin, - Marie Louise
Duchy of Parma - 20 Lira, - Portrait of the Duchess Marie Louise (), wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. Specimen coined at the Mintof Milan gold Weight: 6.45 g Note: Very rare coin (R3) of great historical importance. Only pieces of the 20 Lire with the date were minted, with the gold that had personally been donated by Marie Louise to alleviate the suffering of the population of the Duchy, which had been struck by a plague epidemic. The gold used for the coinage of these coins comes from a valuable dressing table, given to the Duchess by the City of Paris, on the occasion of the birth of her son, Napoleon II. This masterpiece of goldsmith work, sent to the Milan Mint to be melted, was described as follows in the memoirs of Baroness Olimpia Savio: "That dressing table was a masterpiece: 120 statues, wonderfully chiselled, were intertwined with various beautiful ornaments; it cost francs and the Grand Duchess received in the national currency!". See photos to get a good idea of the lot. Shipping via insured mail. Read More