Information about mint: Gori & Zucchi (Arezzo Mint)

The jewellery manufacturing company was founded in Arezzo, Italy on 15th March 1926 by Carlo Zucchi and Leopoldo Gori, its two “founding fathers” who gave the first name of the company.

On 2nd April 1934 they received from the provincial office the first registered trademark of the gold industry, 1AR, which in turn later evolved into the present name of the company: "Uno A Erre" (one, A and R pronounced in Italian).

In the 1960s and 1970s, the company struck commemorative silver and gold coins and medals for many governments, the Knights of Malta and other organisations. Coin catalogues wrongly list it as "Arezzo Mint" for that reason, but it was never called that and was not a mint. Like all other products of the company, they are marked with its trademark 1 AR in a cartouche (and not "Az" as Krause says).

Later editions were marketed by "Numismatica Italiana", a company from Milan, and carry an additional mark - the letters NI, either plain or surrounded by a wreath. If the coins are packaged, the packaging carries branding by "Numismatica Italiana" and not by Gori & Zucchi.

Some mint sets were issued in conjunction with other issuers, such as the Franklin Mint.

On earlier coins issued by Gori & Zucchi, the mint mark is the jewellery trade mark of the company, 1 AR in a cartouche (the cartouche is incuse while the letters are in relief in it).

On later coins issued by Gori & Zucchi, the mint mark is the jewellery trade mark of the company, 1 AR in a cartouche (the cartouche is incuse while the letters are in relief in it), plus NI for the distributor of the coins, the Numismatica Italiana company from Milan. The NI can be plain or within a wreath.

On later coins, marketed by Numismatica Italiana (Milan), the mint mark is NI only (surrounded by a wreath), without the trade mark of Gori & Zucchi.