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1 Testone - Innocent XI MELIVS EST DARE QVAM ACCIPERE
| Issuer | Papal States |
|---|---|
| Year | 1684-1689 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Papal coat of arms of Innocent XI (Benedetto Odescalchi) displayed on a semi-oval baroque shield, surmounted by the papal tiara and crossed keys of Saint Peter. The shield is divided into quarters featuring an eagle displayed in chief and three lions passant in base, consistent with the Odescalchi family arms. Palm and olive branches flank the shield on either side. The circular legend reads INNOCENTIVS XI PONT MAX around the periphery. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | INNOCENTIVS XI٠PONT٠MAX٠ (Translation: Innocent 11th Supreme Pontiff) |
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| Additional information |
Innocent XI — Benedetto Odescalchi — was elected in 1676 after two days of deadlock and immediately set about reforming a papacy he considered financially and morally dissolute. He slashed court expenditure, banned nepotism by formal decree, and redirected papal resources toward the Turkish wars, bankrolling the Holy League that ultimately lifted the Ottoman siege of Vienna in 1683. The motto on this testone, drawn from Acts 20:35, was not decorative piety — it was a deliberate statement of his redistributive program.
He was beatified in 1956, making this one of the few coin series issued by a figure now formally recognized by the Church.