1/2 Baiocco - Benedict XIV Value in wreath - large leaves

Benedict XIV, elected in 1740 after a conclave that stretched nearly six months — one of the longest of the 18th century — moved quickly to reform papal finances and reorganize the coinage system of the Papal States. The half baiocco issues of his early reign reflect that administrative urgency. The "large leaves" variety in the wreath distinguishes this emission from later die iterations produced within the same reign, a detail that matters to specialists building a complete type set of Benedictine copper.