120 Grana Italian city-states Silver

1805, Kingdom of Naples, Ferdinand IV. Large Silver 120 Grana (Piastra) Coin.

Mint Year: 1805 Mint Place: Naples Denomination: 120 Grana (Piastra) References: Davenport 162, KM-246. R! Mint Master: Luigi Diodati (L-D, 1804-1805) Material: Silver (.833) Weight: 27.39gm Diameter: 39mm

Obverse: Draped bust of Ferdinand IV with long hair falling on shoulders. Legend: FERDINANVS IV. D.G. REX / 1805 Reverse: Crowned shield with bourbon arms. Mintmaster´s initials (L-D) at sides. Legend: VTR . SIC . HIER . HISP . INF / G.120

Raised Edge Lettering: PROVIDENTIA OPTIMI PRINCIPIS

Ferdinand I (Ferdinando Antonio Pasquale Giovanni Nepomuceno Serafino Gennaro Benedetto, January 12, 1751 – January 4, 1825) was King variously of Naples, Sicily, and the Two Sicilies from 1759 until his death. He was the third son of King Charles VII of Naples, later Charles III of Spain, King of Sicily by his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony. On August 10, 1759, Charles succeeded his brother as King Charles III of Spain. Treaty provisions made Charles unable to hold the titles of all three Kingdoms. On October 6, 1759 he therefore abdicated in favour of his son Ferdinand (Charles’s eldest son, Philip, was mentally retarded and the second son, Charles, was destined to inherit the Spanish throne).

Ferdinand was styled both Ferdinand III of Sicily (October 6, 1759 – December 8, 1816) and Ferdinand IV of Naples (October 6, 1759 – January 23, 1799; June 13, 1799 – March 30, 1806; May 3, 1815 – December 8, 1816).

On January 23, 1799, the Kingdom of Naples was declared to be abolished and replaced by the Parthenopaean Republic which only lasted until June 13, 1799. Ferdinand was restored to the throne for a while. On December 26, 1805, Napoleon I of France declared Ferdinand deposed again and replaced him with his own brother Joseph Bonaparte on March 30, 1806. Ferdinand was restored for a third time by right of the Austrian victory at the Battle of Tolentino (May 3, 1815) over rival monarch King Joachim I. On December 8, 1816 he merged the thrones of Sicily and Naples to the throne of the Two Sicilies. He continued to rule until his death on January 4, 1825.