Charles Emmanuel II was just fifteen years old in 1654, still nominally under the regency of his mother Christine of France — a Bourbon princess who had dominated Savoyard policy since 1638 and whose French sympathies created persistent friction with the ducal court. Gold multiple scudi of this period were instruments of diplomatic and court finance rather than commerce, and the 4 scudi denomination in particular circulated almost exclusively among the nobility and foreign treasuries. The Duchy's mint output in the 1650s was constrained by ongoing disputes over bullion supply routed through Turin.
Charles Emmanuel II was just fifteen years old in 1654, still nominally under the regency of his mother Christine of France — a Bourbon princess who had dominated Savoyard policy since 1638 and whose French sympathies created persistent friction with the ducal court. Gold multiple scudi of this period were instruments of diplomatic and court finance rather than commerce, and the 4 scudi denomination in particular circulated almost exclusively among the nobility and foreign treasuries. The Duchy's mint output in the 1650s was constrained by ongoing disputes over bullion supply routed through Turin.