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Italian, Florentine, 'Florin ('fiorino stretto')', before 1290

About the work

Overview

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 economic powers of northern Italy did not mint their own gold coins until the later 13th century. Italy’s ‘Commercial Revolution’ in trade and finance brought an increase in the production and circulation of gold coinage. In 1252, Florence introduced the florin. The florin was stamped with the city’s emblem of a fleur-de-lis (of giglio bottonato) on one side and Saint John the Baptist, its patron saint, on the other. The coin rapidly gained a position of pre-eminence across Europe. Florence was a powerful city with international commercial and banking connections and its coinage circulated quickly throughout its networks of influence.

Key facts

Details

Full title
Florin ('fiorino stretto')
Date made
before 1290
Medium and support
Gold
Dimensions
2 × 2 cm
Acquisition credit
The Syndics of Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge
Inventory number
L1362
Location
Room 64
Image copyright
The Syndics of Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge
Collection
Main Collection

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.