2 Doppie - Ferdinand Gonzaga

Ferdinand Gonzaga inherited Montferrat in 1612 as part of the broader Gonzaga territorial holdings, but his tenure over the marquisate was perpetually contested — the Duchy sat at the intersection of Savoyard and Spanish imperial ambitions, making it one of the most diplomatically pressured territories in northern Italy. This 2 Doppie was struck just five years before Ferdinand's death in 1626 and the subsequent War of the Mantuan Succession, which would tear the region apart for years.

Gold issues from Montferrat at this scale are genuinely scarce survivors. The territory's instability meant minting operations were intermittent at best.