fme_1048664 - ITALY - FLORENCE - RÉPUBLIC Médaille de restitution, Electa Contessina Bardi, femme de Cosme l’ancien

ITALY - FLORENCE - REPUBLIC

(1189-1531)

Florence and Genoa were in 1252 the first two Italian cities to strike gold again in the West. Previously, Frederick II of Hohenstaufen (1197-1250) had minted, in Sicily and southern Italy, tari d'or and especially augustales and demi-augustales. The fiorino d'or and the genevino d'oro, which were practically pure gold (23 2/3 carats), had a theoretical weight of 3.50 g and very quickly became the coins used for international exchanges. The Florence florin ran for 10 soldi. In 1284, Venice created the sequin which weighed the same weight and had the same title. The first French gold coin, the écu d'or de Saint-Louis, created in 1266, was inspired by the florin of Florence although heavier (c. 4.00 g).