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Florin - Louis of Piedmont
| Issuer | Piedmont, Lordship of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1402-1418 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A crowned bear passant to the left, rendered in the bold relief characteristic of late medieval hammered gold coinage, standing upon a plain field. The heraldic beast is depicted with stylized fur and a prominent crown above its head. A Gothic Latin legend encircles the design within a beaded border, referencing the lordship of Piedmont. |
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| Additional information |
Louis of Piedmont — properly Luigi di Savoia, Lord of Vaud — ruled a fragmented territory wedged between the expanding Duchy of Savoy and the fractious Lombard communes, issuing this florin in direct imitation of the Florentine model that had dominated European trade since the 1250s. The choice was not aesthetic deference but commercial necessity: merchants across the alpine passes demanded a recognizable gold weight standard, and Piedmontese lords who refused to comply found their coinage refused at market.
The slightly reduced weight against the classic Florentine 3.54 g standard is consistent across Louis's issues and likely reflects the fiscal pressures of a minor lord working with constrained bullion supplies.