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1/2 Piastra - Clement XII FRVSTRA VIGILAT QVI CVSTODIT
| Issuer | Papal States |
|---|---|
| Year | 1734-1735 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | KM#801, Munt#20-21, MIR#2494, Berman#2618 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | CLEMENS·XII PONT·M·A·IV· (Translation: Clement XII Supreme Pontiff Year 4) |
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| Edge | Leaves |
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| Additional information |
Clement XII — born Lorenzo Corsini, elected in 1730 at age 78 — was almost entirely blind by the time this half piastra was struck, governing from his bed for much of his pontificate. The legend FRVSTRA VIGILAT QVI CVSTODIT, drawn from Psalm 127, carries an unintended irony: the man who "watches" over the Papal States could barely see at all. Administration fell largely to his nephew Neri Corsini, whose influence over Vatican affairs drew persistent criticism from the College of Cardinals.
The 1734–35 dating spans the War of Polish Succession's final convulsions in Italy, when Spanish Bourbon forces moved through papal territory largely unopposed.