Cremona's imperial denari were struck in the name of Frederick II long after his death in 1250 — a political gesture by a city that had been among his most loyal supporters in the wars against the Lombard League. Continuing to invoke his authority was less a legal fiction than a defiant statement against papal-aligned rivals. Frederick had granted Cremona significant privileges, and the city was slow to abandon the iconographic and titular vocabulary that came with them.
The billon content of these late issues tends to be noticeably debased compared to earlier Cremonese strikes.
Cremona's imperial denari were struck in the name of Frederick II long after his death in 1250 — a political gesture by a city that had been among his most loyal supporters in the wars against the Lombard League. Continuing to invoke his authority was less a legal fiction than a defiant statement against papal-aligned rivals. Frederick had granted Cremona significant privileges, and the city was slow to abandon the iconographic and titular vocabulary that came with them.
The billon content of these late issues tends to be noticeably debased compared to earlier Cremonese strikes.