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Petachina / Sesino
| Issuer | Republic of Genoa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1305-1339 |
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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 design features the city gateway (castello) of Genoa, shown as a fortified arch with towers, rendered within a fine linear inner circle and a thick beaded outer circle. The gateway is the traditional civic emblem of the Republic of Genoa. The surrounding legend, in uncial Latin, reads ✠ CIVITAS : IANVE : R ., with the mint official's sigil appearing at the conclusion of the inscription. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The sesino emerged as Genoa's response to a chronic shortage of small-denomination coinage in the early fourteenth century, when the republic's explosive commercial growth had outpaced the supply of fractional silver in local circulation. Billon — debased silver alloyed heavily with copper — was the pragmatic solution, allowing the mint to stretch limited bullion across a higher volume of struck pieces.
The MEC XII references place surviving specimens across a notably wide die range, suggesting sustained production across the full three-decade window rather than concentrated campaigns.