The New York Sale 2026 Ancient & World

Montenegro

KORCHNAK, ‘SIEGE COINS OF THE WORLD 1453-1902’, 169 – PLATE COIN

2x

1606 Napoleon (1813-1814). Siege of Cattaro (Kotor), 1813. Cast Silver 5 Francs (40mm; 29.52 g). Crown, 5-F, above ‘N’ flanked by grenades; DIEU PROTÉGÉ LA FRANCE. Reverse: Crossed gun and sword within laurel wreath; CATTARO EN ETAT DE SIEGE 1813 (Korchnak 169 – Plate Coin; Mailliet pl. XXV.2; Traina p. 270; Pagani 292; KM 2). Extremely Fine. After Austria declared war on France in August of 1813, the British Royal Navy which controlled the Adriatic joined forces with the Austrian armies invading France’s Illyrian Provinces. On the evening of October 14, Captain William Hoste of the Royal Navy began to position his ships and men for a blockade and siege of the fortified town of Cattaro. After the island of St. George (Sveti Dorde) on which the town stood was captured, the main fortress of Cattaro was surrounded by British, Montenegrin, Croat and Sicilian forces. For three weeks, Hoste hoisted heavy artillery with block and tackle 3,000 feet up a hillside. Despite being ill, Hoste personally helped the men get the equipment up the slopes. With the artillery finally in place, bombardment commenced on Christmas Day. The 18-pounder above St. John fortress opened fire along with the batteries, soon followed by the full fire power of the ships. After 10 days of shelling and no hope of relief, the French commander General Jean-Joseph Gauthier surrendered on January 3, 1814.

$3,000

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