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Quadruple Gold Ecu - Urban VIII Francis Barberini Legate, Cosimo Bardi Vice-Legate
| Issuer | Comtat Venaissin |
|---|---|
| Year | 1624-1628 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Livre Tournois |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field displays the full papal heraldic achievement of Cardinal Francis Barberini as Legate of Avignon: the Barberini family coat of arms surmounted by a cardinal's hat with dependent tassels, flanked by laurel or palm branches forming a wreath, all within an inner beaded circle. The surrounding outer legend in Latin identifies Francis Barberini as Cardinal Legate of Avignon. The overall composition is characteristic of the grand heraldic style employed on high-denomination papal legation gold coinage of the period. |
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| Mint | Avignon Mint |
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| Additional information |
The Comtat Venaissin — the papal enclave wedged into Provence — issued coinage under its own authority as a direct possession of the Holy See, not the Kingdom of France. Francis Barberini, nephew of Urban VIII, held the legateship from 1623; his appointment was nakedly dynastic, the Barberini family consolidating influence across every available office in the early pontificate. Cosimo Bardi served beneath him as vice-legate, the administrative reality while Barberini remained largely absent from Avignon.
The quadruple ecu denomination signals this was struck for significant transactions, not daily commerce. Avignon's mint output during this window was modest, which accounts for the piece's rarity today.