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1 Ducat - Paul II

Issuer Papal States
Year 1464
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Shape Round (irregular)
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Obverse script Latin
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Reverse description The reverse depicts a facing scene of Pope Paul II, shown in full pontifical vestments including the papal tiara and cope, kneeling in veneration to the left before the standing figure of Saint Peter. Saint Peter is shown facing right, nimbed and draped in classical robes, extending his right hand in blessing while holding a long key in his left hand. The composition is rendered in a bold, sculptural relief characteristic of the Roman hammered coinage of the Quattrocento. The surrounding legend, separated by pellet stops, reads S PETRVS APOSTOLVS, identifying the patron saint of the Holy See.
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Additional information

Paul II, born Pietro Barbo, was a Venetian by background and brought that republic's commercial instincts to the papacy when he ascended in 1464 — the same year this ducat was struck. The choice of the ducat denomination was deliberate: the Venetian gold ducat had become the dominant trade coin of the Mediterranean, and papal adoption of the standard format was a calculated bid for monetary credibility in Italian markets increasingly skeptical of Roman fiscal management.

Berman 399 is among the earlier attributions in Paul II's coinage sequence, placing it firmly in the first months of his pontificate.

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