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1 Testone - Ludovico II
| Issuer | County of Masserano (Masserano, Italian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1528-1547 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | LVDOVICFLISCVSLAVANIE7CDO |
| Reverse description | Full-length frontal figure of Saint Teonesto (Theonestus), patron martyr of Masserano, depicted seated and facing the viewer, clad in episcopal vestments and a mantle with a nimbus behind the head. The saint raises one hand in benediction and holds a palm frond — the attribute of martyrdom — in the other, flanked by two lit candles or torches at either side. A heraldic shield is visible at the base of the composition. The circumferential Latin legend names the saint as S THEONEST MARTIRI, contained between the inner circle and the outer rim of the coin. |
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| Additional information |
Masserano was a tiny imperial fief in Piedmont, granted comital status under the Fieschi family before passing to the Ferrero-Fieschi line. Ludovico II ruled during the Italian Wars' most destructive phase, when French and Habsburg armies repeatedly crossed Piedmont, and small lordships like Masserano issued testoni partly to assert jurisdictional legitimacy under imperial protection — Charles V had confirmed the family's minting rights.
The testone denomination itself was a north Italian invention of the late fifteenth century, designed to replace the clumsy stacking of smaller silver fractions in commercial transactions. Output from Masserano was never large.