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1 Ducat - Antonio Maria Tizzone
| Issuer | County of Desana (Italian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1603 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Ducat |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A square cartouche or tablet bearing a five-line Latin inscription centered within the field, enclosed by an elaborately ornamented frame featuring foliate and scrollwork decoration at the corners and sides. The inscription records the monetary authority of the count as lord of Desana and vassal of the Holy Roman Empire. The overall design follows the typology of north Italian feudal gold coinage of the early seventeenth century. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Desana was among the smallest feudal entities in the Po Valley, a county whose total territory could be crossed on horseback in under an hour. The Tizzone family held it as Imperial vassals, and Antonio Maria's decision to strike gold ducats in 1603 was almost certainly a assertion of status rather than economic necessity — the county lacked the commercial weight to require its own gold coinage. Such issues from micro-states of this period were often minted in trivially small quantities, sometimes as presentation pieces for diplomatic or ceremonial purposes rather than genuine circulation.
KM#1 designation confirms this as the county's first catalogued coinage, which, given Desana's history, may also have been its last in gold.