Muraiola of 4 Bolognini - Clement XI

Bologna's billon coinage under Clement XI falls squarely within the War of the Spanish Succession, which pulled the Papal States into an impossible diplomatic position — the Pope had recognized Philip V of Anjou, alienating the Austrian Habsburgs who effectively controlled northern Italy and would occupy Comacchio in 1708. Local Bolognese mint production during these years reflects the financial strain of a city caught between competing imperial pressures, with billon issues serving the chronic shortage of small change that plagued the region throughout the conflict.