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2 Ducats - Frederick II Gonzaga
| Issuer | Duchy of Mantua (Italian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1519-1530 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 2 Ducats (8) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Full equestrian figure of the Marchese Federico II Gonzaga mounted on a prancing horse, facing left, depicted in armor in the manner of a condottiere or military commander. The rider sits with authority in the saddle, the horse shown in a vigorous trotting pose above a ground line. The abbreviated legend referencing his title as Captain-General of the Holy Roman Church (Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Capitaneus Generalis) is distributed in the field and along the periphery. The design reflects the humanist artistic tradition of the Mantuan court under the influence of the Gonzaga patronage of the arts. |
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| Reverse lettering | S R E C GENE |
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| Additional information |
Frederick II came to power in Mantua in 1519 under imperial tutelage — Charles V granted him the marquisate outright, and Frederick spent the following decade carefully cultivating Hapsburg favor while simultaneously running one of the most extravagant Renaissance courts in northern Italy. The Gonzaga mint issued these double ducats squarely within that political calculation: gold coinage of high fineness projected fiscal credibility to foreign allies and mercenary creditors alike at a moment when Frederick was building both his army and the Palazzo Te.
The .986 fineness matches the Venetian ducat standard closely enough to have circulated at near-parity across northern Italian trade networks.