Italian, Genoese

The increasing availability of the gold entering Europe via global trade routes, and the metal’s intrinsic value, meant that it could be reliably used as a stable and secure form of currency during the Middle Ages. While southern Italy had an earlier tradition of minting gold coins, the great eco...

The increasing availability of the gold entering Europe via global trade routes, and the metal’s intrinsic value, meant that it could be reliably used as a stable and secure form of currency during the Middle Ages. While southern Italy had an earlier tradition of minting gold coins, the great eco...