The Fiorino

Triton XX, Lot: 1245. Estimate $1000. Sold for $3750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ITALY, Firenze. Repubblica. 1189-1532. AV Fiorino d’oro (20mm, 3.56 g, 3h). Segno: pyramid of three pellets. Struck 1252-1260. Ornate lily of Florence / Saint John the Baptist standing facing, holding cross-tipped scepter and raising right hand in benediction. Bernocchi 98; MIR 3/1; Biaggi 785; Friedberg 275. EF.

Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 12 (1 May 1998), lot 2528.

The Fiorino d’oro – known in English as the gold Florin – was introduced in 1252, and depicted on its obverse the lily, symbol of Florence, and on the reverse a figure of St. John. At the time, Mediterranean trade was dominated by the bezant, a colloquial name for the gold dinars of the various Islamic and Crusader states. But the Fiorino, proving to be a sound and reliable coin, soon overcame the bezants in popularity, thus becoming the first European gold trade coinage since Roman times. The type was imitated throughout Europe, with vast numbers struck not only in Florence, but in Hungary, France, and Spain as well. These early imitations generally conformed to the lily/Saint type, with later issues gradually developing more local types, while still retaining the Florentine weight standard.