6 Doppie - Odardo Farnese

Odoardo Farnese ruled Parma under perpetual financial strain, caught between French and Spanish interests while maintaining a court expensive enough to project dynastic legitimacy he could barely afford. His gold coinage was issued in large denominations partly to facilitate payments to mercenary captains and foreign creditors — the 6 Doppie being among the heaviest and most impractical for ordinary commerce. Surviving pieces almost never show circulation wear for this reason.

Odoardo died in 1646 after his disastrous war against the Papal States, a conflict that left Parma economically ruined for a generation.