Grosso - First Republic

Milan's grosso emerged during the long stretch of communal government before the Visconti consolidation of power in 1310 — the terminus of this type's production. The city was among the wealthiest in northern Italy during this period, its wool and textile trade demanding a reliable silver-content coin capable of settling wholesale transactions that smaller denari could not handle efficiently.

Billon rather than fine silver marks a compromise that reflects Milan's monetary pragmatics more than any shortage — CNI V catalogues notable die variation across this sixty-year span.