1/2 Scudo - Charles Emmanuel IV

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.