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Picciolo - Costanzo Sforza Lion
| Issuer | Lordship of Pesaro under Costanzo Sforza (Italian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1473-1483 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A rampant lion passant-rampant to the left is depicted within a beaded inner circle, rendered in the bold, somewhat schematic style characteristic of small hammered billon coinage of fifteenth-century Italian lordships. The lion's raised forepaws and curling tail are discernible despite significant surface wear. The surrounding Latin legend, reading CONSTANTIVS SF, identifies the issuing lord, Costanzo Sforza, Lord of Pesaro. The flan edges are irregular and slightly clipped, consistent with hand-struck production of this denomination. |
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| Reverse lettering | ⋆ CONSTANTIVS SF (Translation: Costanzo Sforza) |
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| Additional information |
Costanzo Sforza ruled Pesaro from 1473 until his death in 1483, a minor lord operating in the perpetual shadow of larger Sforza interests in Milan. The picciolo was the lowest denomination in circulation — a fraction of a fraction — and billon issues at this weight were struck more out of monetary obligation than any commercial logic, since their intrinsic value barely justified the minting cost. Few survive with legible surfaces; the alloy degrades poorly and the flans were rarely centered with care.