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5 Soldi - Maria Theresa
| Issuer | Milan, Duchy of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1750-1763 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Soldi (1⁄24) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Empress Maria Theresa facing right, her hair elaborately dressed and piled high. The effigy is rendered in a refined Baroque style typical of mid-18th century Habsburg coinage. A circular Latin legend surrounds the portrait, reading M·TH·D·G · I·R·H·ET·B, abbreviating her full imperial and royal titles. The field is plain, and the coin's milled edge is visible at the rim. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central field features a large ornate Baroque cartouche with scrolled and foliate decoration, enclosing the three-line legend MLNI / DUX / 1758, denoting Milan (Mediolani) and the ducal title, with the date below. At the base of the cartouche, a smaller recessed tablet bears the denomination mark S·V (Soldi Cinque, five soldi). The overall design is bold and symmetrical, characteristic of Austrian Lombardy coinage of the period. A fine milled border runs around the entire reverse. |
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| Additional information |
Milan's billon coinage of this period was deeply entangled with the broader Habsburgs reorganization of Lombard finances following the War of Austrian Succession, which had formally confirmed Maria Theresa's hold on the duchy by 1748. The persistent debasement of small-denomination billon across northern Italy made these coins objects of suspicion in local markets, and Milanese merchants frequently discounted them against full silver.
The thirteen-year production window reflects administrative inertia rather than steady demand — output was sporadic, driven by periodic shortfalls in fractional currency rather than any coordinated monetary policy from Vienna.