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Testone - Johann Jakob Trivulzio
| Issuer | Mesocco, Lordship of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1498 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Central field displays the Trivulzio family coat of arms — a shield bearing vertical stripes (pales) — set within a beaded inner circle. The armorial shield is depicted in a Gothic style typical of late 15th-century Italian coinage. Surrounding the inner circle is a Latin legend reading IO IACOBI TRIVVLTII CO, identifying the issuer Giovanni Giacomo Trivulzio as Count (Comes) of Mesocco. The outer border is defined by a raised rim with a beaded edge characteristic of hammered silver coinage of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | IO IACOBI TRIVVLTII CO |
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| Additional information |
Johann Jakob Trivulzio received the lordship of Mesocco in 1483 as reward for his military services — he was among the most effective condottieri of the period, having served Milan, France, and Venice at various points in a career defined by calculated loyalty shifts. The testone itself was a Milanese innovation of the 1470s, and Trivulzio's adoption of the format for this small Alpine lordship reflects his deep ties to Lombard political culture rather than any local monetary tradition.
Mesocco passed to the Graubünden in 1549, after which no further coinage was struck there. Issues from the Trivulzio period survive in small numbers.