Clement XII — born Lorenzo Corsini, elected pope at 78 and blind for much of his pontificate — governed Bologna through legates while physically incapable of overseeing the administration himself. His reign saw the first papal condemnation of Freemasonry in 1738, the same year this small silver denomination entered circulation. Bologna's mint operated under tight legatine oversight during these years, and the MIR varieties distinguished here reflect minor die progressions across a three-year window rather than any policy change.
Clement XII — born Lorenzo Corsini, elected pope at 78 and blind for much of his pontificate — governed Bologna through legates while physically incapable of overseeing the administration himself. His reign saw the first papal condemnation of Freemasonry in 1738, the same year this small silver denomination entered circulation. Bologna's mint operated under tight legatine oversight during these years, and the MIR varieties distinguished here reflect minor die progressions across a three-year window rather than any policy change.