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1 Quattrino - Federico II
| Issuer | Mantua, Duchy of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1530-1536 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 1.38 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Plain field bearing a two-line inscription in Greek characters, reading OAVM ΠOΣ, a rendering of the Greek phrase meaning 'not always,' a personal impresa or motto associated with Federico II Gonzaga. Two small decorative leaves flank or accompany the inscription. The design is characteristic of the Renaissance humanist tradition of employing Greek mottoes on coinage. |
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| Additional information |
Federico II Gonzaga received the ducal title from Charles V in 1530 — the elevation from marquis to duke was a direct reward for Mantua's loyalty during the sack of Rome three years earlier. The quattrino was the workhorse denomination of northern Italian copper coinage, circulating among laborers and market vendors who never handled silver. This particular type was struck across a six-year window that ended with Federico's death in 1540, though production was almost certainly heaviest in the early years following the title change.