The Florin - Moruzzi Numismatica Roma

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The Florin

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The florin was one of the first gold coins minted after the fall of the Roman Empire in Italy. Weighing 3.54 grams, it was coined for the first time in 24 gold carats in 1252 in Florence. Its name derives from the Latin term "lily", the heraldic symbol of Florence, represented on the obverse of the coin. On the reverse, instead, there was St. John in stand-up position, the patron saint of the city. In the thirteenth century and until the Renaissance era, the florin became the preferred currency of exchange in Europe - thanks to the bank growing power of Florence - and it became also the most imitated coin with the Venetian ducat. In fact, the types of the famous Florentine coin were minted by several countries with which Florence entertained business relationships, such as Spain, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Bohemia, Hungary and Poland: these countries, changing only the legend, presented initially coins with great adherence to the originals, but after they made iconographic choices that best identified the imitating country. And not only. Thanks to the remarkable prestige achieved, the florin of Florence was also imitated in some Italian cities including Rome, Naples and some centres of northern Italy. "In 1252, after the defeat of Sieneses in Montalcino, Florentines minted a gold coin that, being superior to others for its goodness, soon beat them for its fame. This coin was the Gold Florin, with the supreme purity of 24 carats and weighting one dram, which was imitated or counterfeited in almost all the mints of Europe: with a little variation of alloy and weight it is still known as sequin. The first who minted coins imitating the florins of Florence was perhaps St. Louis, or maybe Louis the X. Many figures followed this example: the republics of Venice and Genoa, whose florin was called ducat; Albert the I, Duke of Austria and then emperor; the king of Bohemia; John the XXII, the Supreme Pontiff; the kings of Hungary and Aragon; Joan, queen of Naples; Amadeus the VI, count of Savoy; the dolphin of Vienna, the Marquis of Montferrat; the bishop of Trecastelli and many other princes and prelates. However, it seems that the first florins minted imitating the originals were not minor to the Florentines ones about purity and weight, as in the treasurers accounts I have not found distinctions between them. I found only a kind of florins called small florins - maybe because they have a smaller diameter in relation to those of Florence, although with a superior weight - having a major value in the first years of the fourteenth century. The florin of Genoa, called gold or Genovino ducat, at the beginning had a lesser value than the florin of Florence, but later it tried to equalize and sometimes to pass its value.  Also, the venetian ducat issued in 1284 and the papal or di Camera florin were superior to the Florence one, although they were imitations." (Luigi Cibrario, Della economia politica del medio evo, Vol. II, Torino, Botta, 1861)

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