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1 Sesino - Ranuccio I Farnese
| Issuer | Duchy of Parma and Piacenza |
|---|---|
| Year | 1592-1622 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A bold floriated cross with ornate, bifurcated terminals set within a beaded inner circle, dividing the field into four quarters. The cross arms display foliated flourishes in the characteristic style of late Renaissance Italian minor coinage. The surrounding legend reads •SALVS• •MVNDI•, a traditional Christian invocation meaning 'Salvation of the World,' distributed between the cross quarters and the outer border. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Ranuccio I inherited Parma and Piacenza in 1592 following the death of his father Alessandro, the celebrated Spanish commander, and almost immediately set about consolidating ducal authority through administrative and monetary reform. The sesino was the workhorse denomination of northern Italian petty commerce — billon by necessity, not preference, since the chronic shortage of fine metal in small denominations was a persistent problem across the Po Valley states throughout this period.
In 1612, Ranuccio executed dozens of Parma's leading noble families on charges of conspiracy, seizing their assets. Whether this fiscal windfall affected mint output in the years following remains an open question in the documentary record.