Guidobaldo II della Rovere ruled Urbino from 1538 until his death in 1574, and the anonymous quattrino — carrying no ruler's name — was a deliberate monetary convention for the lowest fiduciary denominations, sparing the expense of individualized dies for coins that circulated hard and vanished fast. Billon coinage at this weight was inherently a loss-leader: the metal value was negligible, and the duke's profit came from seigniorage alone.
CNI XIII places this type across a broad span, reflecting the difficulty of attributing anonymous minor coinage to specific years within the reign.
Guidobaldo II della Rovere ruled Urbino from 1538 until his death in 1574, and the anonymous quattrino — carrying no ruler's name — was a deliberate monetary convention for the lowest fiduciary denominations, sparing the expense of individualized dies for coins that circulated hard and vanished fast. Billon coinage at this weight was inherently a loss-leader: the metal value was negligible, and the duke's profit came from seigniorage alone.
CNI XIII places this type across a broad span, reflecting the difficulty of attributing anonymous minor coinage to specific years within the reign.