ITALY. Tuscany. Ruspone (3 Zecchini), 1772. Pietro Leopoldo (1765-90). NGC AU-55.Fr-334; C-28. Pietro Leopoldo (1747-92) was the third son of Francis I and Maria Theresia and was shuffled off to Tuscany to get him out of the way of his older brother Joseph II. Among other reforms, he abolished torture and capital punishment in his domain. He succeeded to the imperial throne on Josephs death in 1790. An above average example of a rare type and similar in design to the earlier dated (1748) 3 Zecchini in this sale with the main distinction being in the engraving of Johns clothing, this later date displaying a far coarser pattern.NGC AU-55.
