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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;seth77, post: 7915604, member: 56653&quot;]Italian coinage is probably one of the most interesting, diverse and complex areas of medieval numismatics, so it was always a side interest that I pursued whenever I got a chance, from the tornesi of Nicola II di Monforte to the petty denarii and mezzi of the Hohenstaufen and Angevin Sicily and the strong currencies of the city states.</p><p><br /></p><p>This one here is a bolognino grosso, a civic issue from Bologna ca. 1250s. The bolognino, both grosso and piccolo, was copied around Italy and used with intensity from ca. mid 13th century to the 16th century. This specimen from Bologna was struck of a 820/1000 strong alloy at a poids theorique of 1.41g, of which, after intense circulation, 1.20g remains:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1367640[/ATTACH]</p><p>+ E N R I C I I S; I P R T in a cross shape and 5 bezants flanking the letters, also forming a cross</p><p>・B O ・ N O ・ NI ; large A flanked by 4 bezants forming a cross</p><p>BdNonline 4 pp. 20-1 #14-15; CNI X p. 2 #9; cf Chimienti 2009 p. 95 #13</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Notes:</b> The larger denomination of the bolognino grosso follows the smaller denomination bolognino piccolo (which started the mint in 1191) and was introduced in 1236. It was a denomination that followed a trend for larger silver-based coinages in northern Italy in the 13th century and marked the economic and political rise of the Italian city states.</p><p><br /></p><p>The coinage was immobilized in the name of Enrico VI (Heinrich von Hohenstaufen, Holy Roman Emperor) who gave the city its minting rights in 1191 and continued until the first quarter of the 14th century. Quite specific to it is the spelling of ENRICVS as ENRICIIS. Stefan di Virgilio in BdNonline 4 dates this phase between 1236 and 1260, but it is possible that this particular piece with the usual punctuation and letter forms was minted extensively in the 1250s.</p><p><br /></p><p>The high silver title made this coin a successful one, used and hoarded considerably throughout Italy and especially in the north. This specimen is well worn indicating many years in circulation.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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