| Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 159 | Auction date: 5 November 2025 |
| Lot number: 355 Price realized: 28,000 CHF (Approx. 34,602 USD / 30,111 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: The House of Aragon The First French occupation of the Kingdom of Naples. Charles VIII of France, 1495 – 1496. Charles VIII of France, 1495 – 1496. Carlino, AR 3.57 g. + KAROLVS D G R FRANCORV SI IER Crowned shield of France between crowned K and cross potent. Rev. + XPS VINCIT XPS REGNAT XPS IMPA Cross potent fleurdelisée in a quatrefoil. Pannuti-Riccio 2. Ciani 853. MEC XIV, unlisted but see p. 385. MIR 97/1. Of the highest rarity. Old cabinet tone and extremely fine Ex Florange-Ciani sale 22nd -26th November 1927, Marcheville I, 2068. Privately purchased from NAC December 2008. The expedition and invasion of Naples by Charles VIII of France in 1494 was a pivotal event in Italian history, marking the beginning of the Italian Wars. The invasion was primarily motivated by Charles's desire to assert French claims to the Kingdom of Naples, which had been under the control of the Aragonese dynasty since 1442. Charles VIII's claim to the throne of Naples was based on his descent from the Angevin kings of Naples, who had ruled the kingdom in the 14th century before being displaced by the Aragonese. In 1494, after the death of King Ferdinand I of Aragon, Charles saw an opportunity to press his claim, as the kingdom was left to his son, Alfonso II, who faced internal instability and opposition. He gathered a large army and crossed the Alps into Italy. His entry into Italy was relatively smooth, as many Italian states, including the Duchy of Milan and the Papal States, were either neutral or supportive, viewing the French as a counterbalance to the growing power of the Kingdom of Naples. Charles's army rapidly advanced through Italy, with little resistance, and by the end of 1494, he had captured Naples, which Alfonso II had abandoned in the face of the French invasion. The invasion had far-reaching consequences. Charles VIII's actions led to the first of the Italian Wars, which would involve multiple European powers vying for control of Italian territories. The French presence in Italy also contributed to the destabilization of the Italian peninsula, setting the stage for ongoing conflicts between French, Spanish, and local Italian forces throughout the 16th century. However, Charles VIII's control over Naples was short-lived, actually only between February 22nd and July 7th 1495. The French were eventually forced to withdraw after a coalition of Italian states, including Spain, the Papal States, and Milan, united against them. Despite this, the invasion had a lasting impact on the political landscape of Italy, sparking the involvement of foreign powers in the region for the next several decades. Estimate: 20000 CHF |  |
Match 1:
| Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 159 | Auction date: 5 November 2025 |
| Lot number: 357 Price realized: 170 CHF (Approx. 210 USD / 183 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: The House of Aragon The First French occupation of the Kingdom of Naples. Charles VIII of France, 1495 – 1496. Charles VIII of France, 1495 – 1496. Cavallo, Æ 0.90 g. KAROLVS D G R FR[...] Three lis, crowned. Rev. [XPS VINCIT] XPS RE [XPS IMP] Cross potent. Pannuti-Riccio unlisted. Ciani 859. MEC XIV, unlisted but commentary p. 387. MIR 99/2. Rare. In the past these cavalli with the cross potent were attributed either to Cosenza or Reggio Calabria (G.M. Fusco, Cagiati and CNI), but Charles VIII never had any real authority in a part of Italy so close to Sicily (MEC XIV, p. 387), therefore these types belong rightfully to the Neapolitan mint. Estimate: 150 CHF |  |
Match 2:
| Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 159 | Auction date: 5 November 2025 |
| Lot number: 356 Price realized: 250 CHF (Approx. 309 USD / 269 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: The House of Aragon The First French occupation of the Kingdom of Naples. Charles VIII of France, 1495 – 1496. Charles VIII of France, 1495 – 1496. Cavallo, Æ 1.36 g. + KAROLVS D G R FRAN SI IE Three lis, crowned. Rev. + XPS VINCIT XPS RE XPS IMP Cross of Jerusalem. Pannuti-Riccio 7. Ciani 856. MEC XIV, unlisted but commentary p. 387. MIR 99. Very fine Ex Artemide sale LIV, 2020, 640. Estimate: 200 CHF |  |
Match 3:
| Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 159 | Auction date: 5 November 2025 |
| Lot number: 365 Price realized: 32,000 CHF (Approx. 39,545 USD / 34,412 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: The House of Aragon The First French occupation of the Kingdom of Naples. Charles VIII of France, 1495 – 1496. Sulmona. Carlino, AR 3.58 g. + KROLVS:D:G:R: – FRANCORV:S·I:I Crowned arms of France between K – L; beneath, SMPE in cartouche. Rev. + XPS VINCIT XPS REGNAT XPS IMPA Cross potent fleurdelisée in a quatrefoil. G. V. Fusco, Intorno alle zecche ed alle monete battute nel Reame di Napoli da Re Carlo VIII di Francia, tav. III, 1 (this coin illustrated). Ciani 872 (this coin drawn). CNI 2 (this coin mentioned). MEC 14, unlisted but see p. 385. MIR 787 (this coin illustrated). D'Andrea-Andreani 26 and pl. XIV, 26 (this coin illustrated).Of the highest rarity, two specimens known and the only one in private hands. Extremely fine Ex Florange-Ciani May-June 1921, de Ferrari la Rennotière 38; NAC-Taisei-Spink 52, 1994, 1682 and NAC 89, 2015 sales. From the Fusco collection. Pope Innocent VIII, in contrast with Ferdinand I of Naples due to the latter's failure to pay the papal dues, excommunicated the King of Naples with a bull dated September 11, 1489, offering the kingdom to the French sovereign Charles VIII, who claimed a distant hereditary right to the Kingdom of Naples through his paternal grandmother, Maria d'Angiò (1404–1463). He directed France's resources toward the conquest of that kingdom, encouraged by Ludovico Sforza, called Il Moro (who was not yet Duke of Milan but was merely its regent), and urged by his advisers, Guillaume Briçonnet and de Vers. Once the expedition was underway, Charles VIII's swift advance through Italy met with no resistance, revealing the sudden inadequacy of the Italian states' military forces. In this regard, Pope Alexander VI was quoted as saying: 'Charles VIII conquered Italy with the chalk of his camp servants.' Uncertainty and confusion reigned among the troops of the states trying to oppose the French advance, where, in some places, there was a humiliating neutrality, and the defense of the Kingdom of Naples was now left solely to its own forces. Sulmona, which was of Aragonese loyalty, and the whole of Abruzzo rose in favor of the French with astonishing speed. On February 22, 1495, Naples fell into French hands but did not remain there long, as the speed of the conquest alarmed Milan, Venice, and Rome. These states allied in a league called the 'Holy League' or 'League of Venice' (the First Holy League, March 31, 1495), with the external support of Ferdinand the Catholic and Emperor Maximilian, forcing Charles VIII to leave Naples on May 20 and return to France by the end of the year. The capital of the Kingdom remained in French hands from February 22 to July 7, 1495, the date of Ferrandino's return. This carlino, of the highest rarity, is a precious testimony of that troubled period. Estimate: 30000 CHF |  |
Match 4:
| Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 159 | Auction date: 5 November 2025 |
| Lot number: 361 Price realized: 25,000 CHF (Approx. 30,895 USD / 26,885 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: The House of Aragon The First French occupation of the Kingdom of Naples. Charles VIII of France, 1495 – 1496. Chieti. Carlino (1495), AR 3.47 g. + o*o KAROLVS D G R/ FRANCOR SI IE Crowned shield of France. Rev. * THEATE REGIS GALLIAE MVNERE LIBER Cross fleury with lis at each end; annulet at centre. Missing in all reference works.Apparently unique. Flan crack in the crown and a crease at four o'clock on the obverse, otherwise about extremely fine When Charles VIII of France invaded the Kingdom of Naples in 1494, the city of Chieti, like several others in the Abruzzo region, welcomed him not only out of political calculation but also because of deep-rooted discontent with Aragonese rule. The French king had launched his campaign claiming dynastic rights to the Neapolitan throne through the Angevin line, which had ruled parts of southern Italy before being ousted by the Aragonese. Many cities in the Kingdom-including Chieti-still held sympathies for the Angevin cause or saw the French as liberators from heavy taxation and centralised control imposed by the Aragonese monarchy. Additionally, local elites in Chieti may have hoped to preserve their privileges or gain favor under the new regime. The swift advance of the French army and the apparent weakness of Aragonese resistance at the time also made welcoming Charles VIII a pragmatic choice, aimed at avoiding destruction and securing a favorable position in the event of a lasting French occupation. However, the French presence in the kingdom was short-lived, as a counteroffensive by the so-called Holy League forced Charles to retreat the following year, leading to the reestablishment of Aragonese control. Another unique carlino of Chieti was published by Vincenzo Lemme in an article appeared in RIN 1990, pp. 243-246. On 21st March 1495 a diploma of the King authorized the minting of gold, silver and copper coins. These two coins are obverse die duplicates. Estimate: 25000 CHF |  |
Match 5:
| Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 159 | Auction date: 5 November 2025 |
| Lot number: 366 Price realized: 5,500 CHF (Approx. 6,797 USD / 5,915 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: The House of Aragon The First French occupation of the Kingdom of Naples. Charles VIII of France, 1495 – 1496. Sulmona. Quarter carlino, AR 0.84 g. •:• KROLVS:D:G – :R:FR:SI:IE Crowned arms of France. Rev. : XPS •VIN•XPS•RE•XPS•IM. Cross potent fleurdelisée. Varesi 79, 2022, 406 (this coin). Missing in all reference works but mentioned in "Miscellanea Numismatica 1921". Apparently unique. Good very fine This coin, which was not mentioned in most specialized bibliographies but was referenced in the Miscellanea Numismatica of 1921, was likely struck on a flan of a Karolus or douzain, or possibly on two dies previously used for a Karolus or douzain of Charles VIII that were adapted for this issue. Giovanni Pansa, the author, accurately points out that the weight of the coin corresponds to a quarter of the carlino. However, he refrains from calling it "bolognino,","cella," or "mezzanino," arguing that by 1495-1496 these coins were no longer in circulation. Instead, he opts to call it a "quattrino." However, the claim that these coins had fallen out of use by this time is not entirely accurate. Historical records show that coins like the "celle" and "bolognini" were still in circulation well into the 16th century. For instance, accounts in the Aquila region were still kept in "celle" as late as the mid-1500s, and both "celle" and "bolognini" were mentioned in a decree from 1533. The weight of the coin (0.90 grams) exactly matches that of the cella, which is the proper term for the coin, even though its name is derived from the eagle depicted on it. Therefore, it would have been more accurate for Pansa not to refer to the coin as a "quattrino," as this term typically referred to a coin made of alloy in the Kingdom. In conclusion, we are dealing with a quarter of a silver carlino. Estimate: 4500 CHF |  |
