12 Doppie - Ferdinand Charles III

Ferdinand Charles III of Gonzaga-Nevers inherited Mantua in 1665 following the death of his father Charles II, but the duchy was already a hollowed-out possession — economically exhausted and politically subordinate to Habsburg Austria after the catastrophic War of the Mantuan Succession (1628–1631) had left the city sacked and depopulated. Large gold multiples like this 12 Doppie piece were not struck for commerce. They were presentation coins, produced in tiny numbers for diplomatic gifts and court ceremony, which explains why survivors almost invariably show minimal wear.

Ferdinand Charles died in 1708 without legitimate heirs, ending the Gonzaga line entirely and transferring the duchy to Austria by treaty.