Denaro - Gregory of Montelongo, Elect lily

Gregory of Montelongo was never formally consecrated as Patriarch — he held the title of "Elect" throughout his tenure, having been appointed by papal authority in 1251 as a political operator rather than a spiritual administrator. A seasoned papal legate who had spent years coordinating Guelf resistance against Frederick II in northern Italy, he brought that same combative pragmatism to Aquileia. His denari were struck under an authority that was technically incomplete by canon law, making the "Elect" designation on this issue not a minting formality but a precise legal statement.