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Demi Gros - Georges de Saluces
| Issuer | Bishopric of Lausanne |
|---|---|
| Year | 1440-1461 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Frontal figure of the Virgin Mary enthroned, holding the Christ Child before her, depicted within a beaded inner circle. The composition is rendered in the Gothic devotional style characteristic of late medieval episcopal coinage. The figures are crudely but expressively struck, with the Madonna's form occupying the full central field. A circular legend in uncial Latin characters surrounds the inner circle, invoking the Virgin's intercession. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A bold Latin cross with equal arms occupies the central field, enclosed within a beaded inner circle. A small star or lozenge ornament is placed in each of the four angles formed by the arms of the cross, giving the design a symmetrical, heraldic quality typical of late medieval ecclesiastical coinage. The surrounding circular legend in uncial Latin characters identifies the issuing bishop and the see of Lausanne. The overall strike is characteristic of hand-hammered production, showing moderate die wear and irregular planchet edges. |
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| Additional information |
Georges de Saluces was appointed Bishop of Lausanne in 1440 after a prolonged dispute over the succession — the chapter had initially elected another candidate, and ducal pressure from Savoy ultimately forced the outcome in Georges's favor. His coinage reflects the bishop's precarious position between Savoyard ambition and the city's own civic interests throughout the 1440s and 1450s.
The demi gros denomination was itself a response to chronic small-change shortages plaguing the western Swiss plateau during this period, when Savoyard monetary policy repeatedly disrupted local exchange.