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1 Ducat - Ludovico II Fieschi
| Issuer | County of Masserano (Masserano, Italian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1528-1532 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Full-length frontal figure of Saint Teonesto, patron martyr, enthroned upon an ornate chair, nimbed and vested in episcopal robes, his right hand raised in benediction and his left hand holding a palm frond symbolizing martyrdom. The figure is rendered in the stylised manner of late-medieval Italian ecclesiastical iconography, enclosed within a beaded inner circle. The surrounding Latin legend S THEONESTVS MARTIR identifies the saint. |
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| Additional information |
The Fieschi were one of the most powerful Genoese families of the sixteenth century, and Ludovico II ruled Masserano as a tiny but technically sovereign imperial fief — a status that conferred the right to strike coinage. That right was exercised aggressively by minor Italian lords precisely because gold ducats circulated by weight and reputation rather than by issuing authority, making them functionally accepted across trade networks regardless of their origin. Masserano's output was minuscule, which is why Fieschi gold of this period survives in single-digit numbers across major collections.