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1 Piastra - Ferdinando I
| Issuer | Tuscany, Grand Duchy of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1589-1599 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 32.65 g |
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| Reverse description | The Baptism of Christ depicted in high relief: the figure of Saint John the Baptist stands to the right, partially draped and holding a tall cross-staff, pouring water over the bowed head of Christ who stands at center-left with hands crossed at his chest, immersed to the knee in the River Jordan rendered with stylized waves at the base. The Hand of God and a descending dove representing the Holy Spirit appear above in radiant glory. The date 1591 appears in the exergue, and the Latin legend encircles the field reading FILIVS MEVS DILECTVS, a reference to Matthew 3:17. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Ferdinando I ruled Tuscany after abruptly renouncing his cardinalate in 1587 to succeed his brother Francesco I — who died, along with his wife Bianca Cappello, in circumstances suspicious enough that Ferdinando himself was widely rumored to have arranged it. His reign marked a deliberate pivot away from Spanish influence toward France, cemented by his marriage to Christine of Lorraine in 1589, the very year this piastra type begins. The heavy silver piastra denomination was integral to Medici commercial ambitions in Livorno, which Ferdinando was aggressively developing as a free port during this precise period.