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Denier scodellato- Commune In the name of Frederick I
| Issuer | Commune of Como |
|---|---|
| Year | 1178-1186 |
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| Currency | Denier |
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| Obverse description | Scyphate (scodellato) flan of irregular round shape struck in billon. At center, a stylized facing imperial crown rendered in low relief, depicted with three visible points or fleurons, within a beaded inner circle. The crown is boldly executed in the primitive Romanesque die-cutting style typical of northern Italian communal coinage of the late 12th century. Surrounding the central device, the imperial legend reads ✠ FREDERICVS Ω P R I, invoking the authority of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. The field is flat and worn consistent with hammered circulation coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | ✠ FREDERICVS Ω P R I (Translation: Frederick, Emperor of the Roman Peoples) |
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| Additional information |
Como's commune began striking coins in its own name while nominally acknowledging imperial overlordship — a careful political balancing act that reflected the broader tensions between the Lombard cities and Frederick Barbarossa following the Peace of Constance in 1183. That treaty formally recognized communal self-governance across northern Italy, and coinage in the commune's name, however deferential in its titulature, was a direct expression of that new administrative reality.
The scodellato fabric — the characteristic concave dish shape — is a regional peculiarity of northern Italian billon issues from this period, caused by the die-striking technique rather than any deliberate aesthetic choice.