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Groschen - Gregory XI
| Issuer | Comtat Venaissin |
|---|---|
| Year | 1370-1378 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Groschen (1/20) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Two crossed keys of Saint Peter displayed saltire-wise in the central field, their bows facing downward and tied together at the crossing point with a cord or ring, symbolizing the spiritual and temporal powers of the papacy. The keys are rendered in the Gothic engraving style characteristic of Avignon-period papal coinage, with clearly articulated bit-work on each key. A beaded inner circle frames the central device, separating it from the circumferential Latin legend. The overall design is bold and heraldically conceived, consistent with standard papal reverse iconography of the period. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Gregory XI was the last French pope and the one who finally ended the Avignon papacy, returning the Holy See to Rome in 1377 — a move so politically fraught that it contributed directly to the Western Schism that followed his death the next year. The Comtat Venaissin, a papal enclave in Provence distinct from Avignon itself, had been under direct papal control since Philip III ceded it to the papacy in 1274, giving the popes a territorial base in France with full minting rights.
Gregory died in March 1378, just months after the return to Rome, before the schism fully erupted.