The morning journal-courier., 1908-12-11
PAPACY ON. COINS
The Unique Gold Coin of Pope Innocent TX. Just EX-
 humed.
OTHER SIMILAR COINS
They Have Not Been Struck Since 1870. With But One Ex-
 ccption.


 Not tho least interesting of the pope's jubilee gifts was the unique gold coin of Pope Innocent K, which, recently exhumed at Acqu Italy was contended for by coin collectors, King Victor Emmanuel being an unsuccess- full competitor
 This coin, the only one in existence Of the reign of Innocent lX was need cd to make the vatican collection of papal coins complete.
 The papal coins exhibit the DOT traits of many If the popes and their coats of arms, and furnished metallic history of the coinage of the church from the first issues in the latter part of the eighth century down to 1870, when the papal states were annexed to Italy and tho papal mint ceased operations says the New York Sun.
 Tho papal series of coins is ono of thc very longest, covering 1,1Sb ycars The first pope to issue coins was Adrian l. The coins of Europe were | then largely in imitation of those of | thc Byzantine empire. whose gold by 2dntg we're generally used throughout | the continent and the coin of Pope | Adrian was fair example of the coin | age of the times IL showed a full | face portrait, presumably of St Peter, on the ohtersc, surrounded by the in- icripton "tIadrianus r. F." and the cross on the reverse. very much after tne style of the Byzantine pieces. Many of the carly issues or tne popcs show tho names of the reign | Iug pope and tho representation of either St, Peter or St. Paul Perhaps nc series of coins shows greater va ricty of design or more skillful exc cutiun The church, always patron If the arts employed the foremost artists of the time, and some of tac coins are from the hands If sucr mvn as CcIlini and Franca.
 gold scudo of Julius IT., the de- sign of which is credited to Frsucia, SHOWS a finely engraved portrait of the pope. with tho inscription Julius ! PontifeS Maximus" \ coin of Alex ander VII. attributed to Pablo, shows on the reverse tho crossed keys anu crown. peraaps one of the first of the | papa coins to bear this device.
 The coins of the popes were struck in many places, including Rome, Bo- loGna Ayignon Pcruga, Temi, san Severinn and Gaota. One of the in- ioresting pieces of the Roman mint was 2 silver ducat of Clement VII. This piece, irregular in shape. was struck in l527 when Rome was in 8 state of siege On the ,obvcrse arc shown tho arms and title of Pope closed by wreath on the reverse. To ths same pope is credited a jubilee D scquin piece in gold struck in 1925. It Is not unlikely that tho latter piece vas engraved IN CcCllini
 The most remarkable papal coin ls- aucd at Bologna was the sequin of lS23. which shows the usual papal cm- hlems and fuli length portrait of st. Peter II was the earliest of the Apos- tolc coins to be mintcd at that city and a specimen brought s26 at recent sale Tine first papal silver scudo was struck at Bologna during the reign of Pope Gregory NIL
 Included among the regular papal coins arc those of the intcrregnal pc rods known as tho "Sodc Vacantc' series or coins struck during the time the papa throne was unoccupied, There arc many varieties of these pieces somc of them being extremely scarce. ' A very interesting ";Sede Na,antc' scudo shows that before tho accession of Plus TX in lS46 an interregnal is. sue of silver of considerable volume was contemplated. This piece was llat. cd lSi6 and bore the legend "Scde Va. cante." with the arms of the senior cardinal Rarlo Sfor2a. who had tht sole authority to issue coins during tho period The same cardinal issued 2 gold niece during tho interval between the death of Gregory WI and tho clce ton of Pius IN, This piece was called a doppia and hal 8n intrinsic value ot s339 X full length figure Of st. Pctei was shown on tho ohvcrse, and the re- verse boro the cardinals coat of arms with crossed keys and cardinals hat with the words "Sodc Vacantc."
 A silver scudo of lS46 of this cardina showed the grand cross of the Tcgiol of Honor suspended from tho shield II would seem that the cardinal los no time in issuing these pieces, for th, intorrcgnum lasted but a few days Pope Gregory dying on June anl Pope Plus being elected on June l6 These were the last "Scde Vaeantc' pieces hy tho papal mint
 While many of tho varieties of th coinage of tho states of tho churcl are sti, obta inahle at reasonable price certain specimens are of great rarity Cold, silver and copper were the metal ordinarily used, and the pieces strucl in gold are tho rarest Very rar pieces are the gold sepuns of Plus Il