Quattrino - Francis II Gonzaga bust, crucible

Francis II Gonzaga ruled Mantua through one of the most turbulent periods in Italian politics, serving as Captain-General of the Venetian forces at Fornovo in 1495 — a battle claimed as a victory by both sides and settled nothing. His coinage reflects a court perpetually short of silver, with copper issues like this quattrino filling daily commerce while the duchy's finances lurched between condottiere contracts and aristocratic debt.

The crucible reverse is a Gonzaga device with dynastic significance, not a minting accident or workshop mark.