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1 Zecchino - Joseph II
| Issuer | Duchy of Milan (Milan, Italian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1781 |
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| Value | 1 Zecchino (7⁄3) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and draped bust of Emperor Joseph II facing right, rendered in high relief with finely detailed hair and laurel wreath. The emperor's effigy is depicted in the Roman imperial tradition, with the truncation of the shoulder visible at the lower rim. A beaded inner circle frames the portrait. The peripheral legend runs continuously around the obverse field in Latin capitals. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Joseph II inherited Milan as part of the Habsburg hereditary lands following his mother Maria Theresa's death in November 1780, and the 1781 zecchino was among the first Milanese gold issues struck in his name alone — he had previously appeared on coinage as co-ruler. His tenure in Milan was marked by sweeping Josephinist reforms: suppression of monasteries, curtailment of Church authority, and administrative centralization that generated considerable local resistance. The Milanese zecchino itself was a denomination with roots in the medieval Venetian ducat tradition, maintained largely for merchant credibility in northern Italian trade networks rather than domestic everyday use.