Denier - Frederick I as emperor, Milan mint

Frederick Barbarossa gained control of Milan's mint following his brutal sack of the city in 1162, when he razed much of Milan to the ground and scattered its population across four surrounding villages. The right to strike coinage there was a deliberate assertion of imperial authority over the most economically significant city in northern Italy — a city that had previously issued coin under its own communal government.

Milan was rebuilt and restored to its citizens in 1167 under the Lombard League, making any attribution within the 1155–1190 window genuinely difficult. Dies from before and after the destruction are not reliably distinguishable by type alone.