Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
20 Soldi - Filippo IV
| Issuer | Milan, Duchy of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1655 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 20 Soldi = 1 Lira (⅙) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | PHILIPPVS·IIII·REX·HIS 1655 |
| Reverse description | A five-line Latin inscription reading MEDIO / LANI / DVX / ·ET·C· / ·Z0· is displayed within an elaborate ornate frame, surmounted by a ducal crown flanked by two flourishing foliate branches that extend symmetrically to either side. The branches, richly detailed with leaves and flowers, converge at the base in a decorative arrangement, enclosing the entire inscription within a wreath-like surround. Small rosette or star ornaments punctuate the inscription lines. The whole composition is enclosed within a beaded outer border. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Philip IV of Spain held the Duchy of Milan as a Spanish possession, and by 1655 his administration was squeezing the duchy's mint to fund an exhausting series of wars against France — the Franco-Spanish War would not end until the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659. Milan's coinage of this period frequently shows signs of understaffed production and inconsistent planchet preparation, a direct consequence of diverted treasury resources. The 20 Soldi denomination occupied an awkward middle position in Lombard commerce, too large for daily transactions and too small for merchant accounting, which kept circulation relatively light.