King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy, who reigned from 1900 to 1946, was a well-known collector of coins.

The intersection between his reign and a curious coinage custom led to the creation of a rare coin, an example of which is a 1901 silver 5-lira coin. After a protest by France, all examples but 114 pieces were melted and the remaining pieces were used by the king as gifts.

The coin depicts Head of King facing right, below the neck the name of the engraver. The reverse features Heraldic eagle with the Savoia shield on its chest. Above the head there is the crown of Italy. Below the eagle's tail is the mintmark between stars, with the value on its left and the date on its right.

Image Courtesy: coinworld.com