⅙ Zecchino - Charles Emmanuel III

Charles Emmanuel III spent much of his reign in active warfare — the War of Polish Succession, the War of Austrian Succession, and persistent border conflicts with France — and his fractional gold issues reflect a coinage system under constant fiscal strain. The zecchino fractions circulated primarily in commercial contexts where full sequins were too valuable for everyday exchange. At 0.584 g in near-pure gold, the sixth-zecchino sits at the practical lower limit of hand-struck gold coinage; planchet preparation at the Turin mint for these tiny flans was notoriously inconsistent, and centering problems are the rule rather than the exception.