Charles Emmanuel IV inherited the throne in October 1796 under the worst possible circumstances — Piedmont had just been stripped of its mainland territories by Napoleon's Italian campaign, leaving the Savoy dynasty clinging to the island of Sardinia itself. This coin was struck across a reign that lasted barely four years before French pressure forced his abdication in 1802. The Turin mint operated under severe political duress throughout this period, producing coinage for a kingdom that existed largely on paper.
The .908 fine silver standard held, but output was sharply curtailed. Survivors in any condition above heavily circulated are genuinely scarce.
Charles Emmanuel IV inherited the throne in October 1796 under the worst possible circumstances — Piedmont had just been stripped of its mainland territories by Napoleon's Italian campaign, leaving the Savoy dynasty clinging to the island of Sardinia itself. This coin was struck across a reign that lasted barely four years before French pressure forced his abdication in 1802. The Turin mint operated under severe political duress throughout this period, producing coinage for a kingdom that existed largely on paper.
The .908 fine silver standard held, but output was sharply curtailed. Survivors in any condition above heavily circulated are genuinely scarce.