March 5^th 2012

Next club meeting Monday 2^nd April 2012

• Refreshing Change – Tokens and Drinking by Gerry Buddle

Meetings are held at the Abbey Baptist Church, Abbey Square, commencing at 7.00 p.m.

NOTICES

• SKITTLES EVENING – 28^th April: Numbers are on the low side for this, so if you would like to come, please sign up at the meeting on 2^nd!

March Meeting

Tony began his talk by explaining that there have been over 3500 varieties of Papal coins issued, so we would be only scratching the surface in the talk! The majority of the coins shown were silver Grossi, with the occasional bronze Folis for a change!

The early Folis mimicked the Roman denari with a Greek K on the reverse and a Peigne Champenois (Champagne Comb) on the obverse. The Grossi were issued originally with a crowned Lady (the City of Rome) with a lion on the reverse.

Gregory XI’s Grossi has his mitred portrait (facing) and a thickened cross on the reverse – this is in the Bolognese style.

From Pius II, the Grossi obverse reflected the coat of arms of the sitting Pope, topped by crossed keys and a papal tiara. The reverse shows the standing figures of St Paul and St Peter. This style was maintained for many years with only the coat of arms changing. Obverse legends gave the papal name and number (eg Pius III Pont Maximus) and occasionally a papal year. The reverse legend reads S. Paulus S. Petrus.

One amendment was on the coin on Paul III where (for some reason…) St Peter was omitted from the reverse, leaving St Paul on his own! Additionally, Pius V used the head of Jesus as the reverse design.

Gregory XIII issued a ‘commemorative’ coin dated 1575 (MDLXXV) which depicted the Holy Door in St Peter’s Basilica. This only occurs in Holy Years – ie those divisible by 25.

Unusually, there was an issue of coins showing the arms of the Cardinal Camerlengo during the Sede Vacant between Popes Alexander VIII and Innocent XII. The reverse shows the Dove of the Holy Spirit with the legend Da Recta Sapere (May we understand correctly).

The first milled coins were struck under Gregory XVI circa 1840, however no coins were struck between 1860 and 1930 when the Papal States joined the Latin Monetary Union. Striking resumed upon the release of Vatican City from Italian rule as negotiated by Pius XI with Mussolini.

Various milled issues has been struck, including a commemorative Lr1000 in the name of Pope John Paul I – who only sat for 33 days.

Twenty –five attending members showed their appreciation to Tony in the usual way, and we thank Tony for his most interesting talk.

Future Events

• British and World Tokens and Banknotes – DNW, London – 11^th/12^th April
• Coins Tokens and Banknotes – BSA Auctions, Leominster – 18^th April
• Coins and Banknotes – www.whytes.com (online auction) – 21^st April
• Coins, Banknotes and Tokens – Boulton & Cooper, Malton – 25^th April

Past Events

• 1 years ago – “20th Century Medals” - Frances Simmons

· 10 years ago – “Metal Detecting and its Effect on Numismatics” - Christopher Wren

· 30 years ago – Social evening with visit from members from Hayes, Woking and Beaconsfield clubs

Club Secretary