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1 Testone - Bonifacio Ferrero Saint Benignus
| Issuer | Abbey of Fruttuaria (Italian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1529-1543 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The Abbey of Fruttuaria, founded near Ivrea in 1003 by William of Volpiano, held imperial minting privileges that made it an anomaly among Piedmontese ecclesiastical institutions. Bonifacio Ferrero served as commendatory abbot — a lay appointment effectively controlled by the House of Savoy — meaning the political authority behind this issue was secular in all but name. The testone denomination itself had only been circulating in northern Italy for roughly half a century by the time these were struck.
MIR 851 is among the scarcer abbey issues of the period. Fruttuaria's minting activity was already in decline by the 1530s, squeezed between Savoyard fiscal consolidation and broader disruptions to Piedmontese commerce following the French occupation of 1536.