1/2 Bolognino - Clement XII

Clement XII, born Lorenzo Corsini, was elected pope in 1730 at age 78 and was almost entirely blind within two years of taking office. Bologna operated its own mint under papal authority throughout this period, producing subsidiary copper coinage that circulated heavily in local markets. The bolognino itself was an ancient Bolognese denomination dating to the medieval commune, retained long past its political relevance purely by regional habit.