The Agontano was the currency used by the Italian Maritime
Republic of Ancona
The Republic of Ancona was a medieval commune and maritime republic on the Adriatic coast of modern-day Italy, notable for its economic development and maritime trade, particularly with the Byzantine Empire and Eastern Mediterranean, although som ...
from the 12th to the 16th centuries during its golden age.
It was a large
silver
Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...
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 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''.
History
It quickly became widespread in Italy, where it was coine ...
.
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 ( ; ), in English sometimes referred to as the Marches ( ) from the Italian name of the region (Le Marche), is one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. The region is located in the Central Italy, central area of the country, ...
and also in
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an Regions of Italy, administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia (region), Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 m ...
,
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence.
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
,
Lazio
Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
and
Abruzzo
Abruzzo (, ; ; , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; ), historically also known as Abruzzi, is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four ...
. 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, 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>
See also
*History of coins in Italy
Italy has a long history of different coinage types, which spans thousands of years. Italy has been influential at a coinage point of view: the medieval Florentine florin, one of the most used coinage types in European history and one of the m ...
Note
Bibliography
* Marco Dubbini e Giancarlo Mancinelli: ''Storia delle monete di Ancona'', edizioni Il lavoro editoriale, Ancona 2009,
* AA. VV. (a cura di Lucia Travaini): ''L'agontano: una moneta d'argento per l'Italia medievale'' Univ. degli Studi di Perugia, Dip. di Scienze dell'antichità, 2003
{{Historic Italian currency and coinage
Medieval currencies
Ancona
Silver coins
Coins of Italy
Obsolete Italian currencies