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Gold Ecu - Julius III Alessandro Farnese Legate
| Issuer | Comtat Venaissin |
|---|---|
| Year | 1550-1555 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Central field occupied by the papal coat of arms of Julius III, depicted on a heraldic shield divided into quartered sections, surmounted by the crossed keys of Saint Peter in saltire and a pontifical tiara above. The arms are rendered in the bold, low-relief style characteristic of mid-16th-century hammered coinage. A circular Latin legend surrounds the entire design within the coin's irregular border. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | ALEX.FAR.CAR.ET.AVENIO.LEGA (Translation: Alessandro Farnese, cardinal legate of Avignon.) |
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| Additional information |
The Comtat Venaissin, a papal enclave in Provence entirely surrounded by French territory, maintained its own mint at Carpentras under direct Roman authority. Julius III appointed Alessandro Farnese — grandson of Paul III — as papal legate to Avignon and the Comtat in 1550, and coinage struck under his legation carries his name rather than the reigning pope's, an arrangement reflecting the enclave's semi-autonomous administrative character.
The Farnese family's grip on papal appointments during this period was considerable, and Alessandro would eventually become a cardinal of significant political weight. This ecu dates entirely within his legation years before Julius III's death in March 1555.