Louis XII seized Genoa in 1499 as part of his broader campaign to press French dynastic claims in northern Italy, and the city's mint immediately began producing coinage acknowledging the new overlord. The half teston was a Milanese denomination the French administration adopted rather than invented — a practical concession to local monetary habit. Genoa would revolt in 1507, ending this short series and making the entire issue the product of a single, turbulent occupation.
Louis XII seized Genoa in 1499 as part of his broader campaign to press French dynastic claims in northern Italy, and the city's mint immediately began producing coinage acknowledging the new overlord. The half teston was a Milanese denomination the French administration adopted rather than invented — a practical concession to local monetary habit. Genoa would revolt in 1507, ending this short series and making the entire issue the product of a single, turbulent occupation.