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1 Piastra - Sixtus V
| Issuer | Papal States |
|---|---|
| Year | 1588 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The Pentecost scene depicted in high relief: the Virgin Mary seated centrally in a posture of prayer, surrounded by the Apostles arranged in a semicircle, all with heads bowed or turned upward in devotion. Above the central group, the Holy Spirit descends as a radiant dove emitting rays of light. The composition fills the field in a richly detailed Renaissance style. The legend MONTE ALTO arcs across the upper field, with the date 1588 appearing in the lower exergue. |
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| Additional information |
Sixtus V was elected in 1585 and immediately launched one of the most aggressive fiscal and urban reform programs the Papal States had seen in generations — draining the Pontine Marshes, completing the dome of St. Peter's, and rebuilding Rome's road network, all within a five-year pontificate. The treasury was funded in part through aggressive taxation and the sale of offices, and the heavy silver piastra issues of his reign reflect an administration that needed hard currency moving at scale.
Sixtus died in August 1590, leaving a successor who survived only twenty-seven days. Berman 1380 is among the more frequently encountered types of his coinage, though genuine examples with full, even strikes are less common than survival rates suggest.