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1 Grosso - Clement XIII Lateran Possess
| Issuer | Papal States |
|---|---|
| Year | 1758 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Grosso (0.05) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse features a decorative Baroque cartouche enclosing a four-line Latin commemorative inscription, with the date 1758 placed below in the exergue area. A small grotesque mask or heraldic device appears at the top of the cartouche above the lettering. Scrolling acanthus foliate ornaments flank both sides of the cartouche, lending the design an elegant Rococo character. The entire composition is set within a milled border, commemorating Clement XIII's formal possession of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran. |
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| Mintage | 1758 - A. I |
| Additional information |
Clement XIII's pontificate began in 1758 with this grosso struck to commemorate his formal taking of possession of the Lateran Basilica — the ceremonial procession known as the possesso, traditionally held shortly after a pope's coronation. The rite dated back to the medieval papacy and carried considerable political weight, asserting the bishop of Rome's authority over his cathedral church rather than solely over St. Peter's. Clement XIII would go on to become one of the most embattled popes of the eighteenth century, spending much of his reign in open conflict with the Bourbon monarchies over the suppression of the Jesuits.
These possesso issues were struck in limited quantities for ceremonial distribution rather than general circulation.