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1 Grosso - Gian Galeazzo Visconti
| Issuer | Duchy of Milan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1382-1398 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Central field dominated by the Visconti biscione (a large coiled serpent or viper in the act of devouring a figure), displayed within a quadrilobe or quatre-foil ornamental frame formed by four rounded lobes. The serpent motif, heraldic emblem of the Visconti dynasty, is rendered in relief with characteristic medieval hammered style. Two small decorative symbols flank the central device. The surrounding circular legend, separated from the central device by a beaded inner border, reads the ruler's titulature in Gothic Latin characters. |
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| Reverse description | Enthroned frontal figure of Saint Ambrose, patron of Milan, depicted in full episcopal vestments including a mitre and cope, seated upon a decorated throne. The saint raises his right hand in a gesture of benediction while his left hand holds a crozier or pastoral staff. A nimbus surrounds his head, emphasizing his sanctity. The figure is rendered in the flat, stylized Gothic manner typical of late 14th-century Milanese coinage. The surrounding legend identifying the saint runs along the outer circumference within a beaded border. |
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| Additional information |
Gian Galeazzo came to power in 1385 through one of the more calculated acts of the period: he invited his uncle Bernabò to a meeting under the pretense of greeting a papal legate, then had him arrested on the road and imprisoned at Trezzo, where Bernabò died the following year. The consolidation that followed transformed Milan from a shared signoria into a centralized duchy, and the coinage reorganization of the same years reflects that administrative ambition directly.
The Crippa references span two die varieties with minor legend differences tied to Gian Galeazzo's evolving titulature as he moved from lord to duke — the imperial diploma granting him the ducal title arrived in 1395.