Massimiliano Sforza's tenure as Duke of Milan was entirely a French problem. Installed in 1512 after Swiss mercenaries expelled Louis XII's forces, he ruled as little more than a client of his own military protectors — paying the Swiss in cash and concessions he could barely afford. This coin circulated during those three years of fiscal strain before Francis I retook Milan at Marignano in September 1515, ending Sforza rule for a decade.
The billon fineness reflects the period's constrained treasury rather than a debasement in the classical sense.
Massimiliano Sforza's tenure as Duke of Milan was entirely a French problem. Installed in 1512 after Swiss mercenaries expelled Louis XII's forces, he ruled as little more than a client of his own military protectors — paying the Swiss in cash and concessions he could barely afford. This coin circulated during those three years of fiscal strain before Francis I retook Milan at Marignano in September 1515, ending Sforza rule for a decade.
The billon fineness reflects the period's constrained treasury rather than a debasement in the classical sense.