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5 Doppie - Charles Emmanuel II Siege of Cuneo
| Issuer | Duchy of Savoy (Italian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1641 |
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| Currency | Lira |
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| Obverse description | Ornate heraldic shield of manifold quartered arms, with the central escutcheon bearing the cross of Savoy, superimposed upon two crossed palm branches arranged saltire-wise. The shield is rendered in a bold, rudimentary hammered style typical of siege coinage. The surrounding field is plain, with the peripheral Latin legend disposed around the circumference. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | CIVITAS CVNEI S OBSES SA |
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| Additional information |
Cuneo was besieged by French forces under the Prince of Condé in 1641, and this emergency coinage was struck specifically to pay the garrison holding the city. Charles Emmanuel II was only eleven years old at the time — regency government under his mother Christine of France was actually directing the defense. The political irony of a French princess organizing resistance against a French army was not lost on contemporaries.
Siege coinages of this type were struck fast, often from whatever gold plate or jewelry could be requisitioned, which accounts for the weight inconsistencies documented across surviving specimens.