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6 Doppie - Ferdinand I
| Issuer | Duchy of Mantua (Italian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1614 |
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| Composition | Gold |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Ferdinand I of Gonzaga facing right, attired in cardinal's robes and biretta, holding a scepter over his right shoulder. The effigy is rendered in high relief in the Italian Renaissance manner, with fine detailing of the ecclesiastical vestments. The obverse legend arcs around the periphery identifying the issuer by name, title, and rank, while the Roman numeral date MDCXIIII appears in the lower field. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Ferdinand I Gonzaga had been a cardinal for over a decade before his brother Francesco IV died suddenly in 1612 — reportedly from measles contracted at a party — leaving no male heir. Ferdinand renounced his ecclesiastical rank, assumed the ducal title, and almost immediately commissioned prestige coinage of this scale, likely intended as diplomatic gifts rather than circulation currency. A six-doppia piece at roughly 39 grams of gold was not spending money; it was politics in metal form.
Ferdinand's reign ended in 1626, and the Gonzaga line itself collapsed in the catastrophic War of the Mantuan Succession just years later.