The Agontano was the currency used by the Italian Maritime
Republic of Ancona
The Republic of Ancona was a medieval commune and maritime republic notable for its economic development and maritime trade, particularly with the Byzantine Empire and Eastern Mediterranean, although somewhat confined by Venetian supremacy on th ...
from the 12th to the 16th centuries during its golden age.
It was a large
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
coin of 18-22mm in diameter and a weight of 2.04-2.42 grams, of roughly equivalent value to the Milanese
Soldo
The soldo was an Italian medieval silver coin, issued for the first time in the late 12th century at Milan by Emperor Henry VI. The name derives from the late Roman coin ''solidus''.
It quickly became widespread in Italy, where it was coined ...
.
Origin
The first reports of Ancona's medieval coinage begin in the 12th century when the independence of the city grew and it began to mint coinage without Imperial or papal oversight. According to some traditions the city began minting currency by concession of the Byzantine Empire, following the fidelity demonstrated during the siege of 1173,which also led to the city's acquisition of its flag of the gold cross on a red field. This story may be doubtful as records for it are late and not supported by contemporary sources.
The coin, also called "Grosso Agontano", was a great success and its type was imitated in other cities of
Marche
Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...
and also in
Emilia-Romagna
egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman)
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,
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
,
Lazio
it, Laziale
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and
Abruzzo
Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...
. For example, coins of Massa Marittima, Ravenna, Rimini, Volterra,
[Voce sull'agontano nell'Enciclopedia Treccani]
/ref> Pesaro and Ferrara. show a marked influence from Ancona.
Gold Agontano
Later and less famously Ancona began minting a gold Agnoto coin, also known as the Ancona Ducat. Specimens of this coin have survived from the 15th and 16th centuries, until the city's loss of independence in 1532.
Appearance
On the obverse the Agontano displays a cross enclosed by a circle around which is the inscription DE ANCONA. On the reverse is represented St.Cyriacus
Cyriacus ( el, Ἅγιος Κυριακός, fl. 303 AD), sometimes Anglicized as Cyriac, according to Christian tradition, is a Christian martyr who was killed in the Diocletianic Persecution. He is one of twenty-seven saints, most of them marty ...
, protector of the city, dressed as a Greek bishop. Around this is the inscription P.P.S. QUIRIACUS. The saint's head, with the halo, interrupts the circle that encloses the rest of the body.[Istituto Giovanni Treccani, Roma ''Enciclopedia italiana di scienze, lettere ed arti'' Volume 3 edizione 195]
pagina 159
/ref>
Note
Bibliography
* Marco Dubbini e Giancarlo Mancinelli: ''Storia delle monete di Ancona'', edizioni Il lavoro editoriale, Ancona 2009, {{ISBN, 978-88-7663-451-2
* AA. VV. (a cura di Lucia Travaini
Lucia Travaini (born 1953) is an Italian numismatist, archaeologist, and academic. She is Associate Professor of Medieval and Modern Numismatics at the University of Milan.
Life
Travaini studied archaeology at the Sapienza University of Rome. She ...
): ''L'agontano: una moneta d'argento per l'Italia medievale'' Univ. degli Studi di Perugia, Dip. di Scienze dell'antichità, 2003
Medieval currencies
Ancona
Silver coins
Coins of Italy