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1/4 Grosso - Giovanni IV Paleologo
| Issuer | Montferrat |
|---|---|
| Year | 1445-1464 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/4 Grosso (1⁄48) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field bears the crowned heraldic shield of the Paleologi Marquisate of Montferrat, displaying the characteristic chequered arms of the dynasty. The shield is surmounted by a marquis crown rendered in relief. A beaded inner circle frames the device, with the marginal legend reading IOhANES MARChIO interrupted by floral rosette ornaments and a cross pattee at the start. The flan is irregular and slightly wavy, consistent with hand-struck medieval billon coinage. The overall style is characteristic of North Italian hammered issues of the mid-fifteenth century. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | ✠ ❀ IOhANES ❀ MARChIO ❀ I O |
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| Additional information |
Giovanni IV Paleologo ruled Montferrat as a marquis of Byzantine descent, the Italian branch of the Palaiologos dynasty having held the marquisate since 1305. His reign coincided with the final collapse of Constantinople in 1453, an event that severed whatever symbolic connection this western lordship maintained with its eastern dynastic origins. The Montferrat mint was a minor operation by any measure, and billon fractions of this type circulated primarily in the Piedmontese regional economy rather than in long-distance trade.
CNI II records only two die pairings for this type, suggesting limited production runs across the nearly two-decade reign.