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1 Grosso - Urban VIII Radiant Madonna
| Issuer | Papal States |
|---|---|
| Year | 1627-1628 |
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| Reference(s) | KM#152, Munt#143 |
| Obverse description | Facing bust of Pope Urban VIII in full pontifical vestments, wearing the tiara (triregnum) surmounted by a cross, with a large draped mantle covering his shoulders; the papal coat of arms of the Barberini family — featuring three bees — appears on a shield at the base of the bust. The legend encircles the effigy, punctuated by dots, identifying the pontiff and his regnal year. The coin is struck on an irregular flan characteristic of hammered coinage of the period, with bold if somewhat uneven relief throughout the field. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Urban VIII — born Maffeo Barberini — was elected pope in 1623 and proved one of the more financially aggressive pontiffs of the seventeenth century, repeatedly debasing the papal coinage to fund military campaigns in the Duchy of Castro. This grosso predates the worst of those debasements, struck at a notably high fineness that would not be maintained in later issues under the same pontificate.
The two-year window of production is tight, and surviving examples in collectible condition are genuinely scarce rather than merely marketed as such.