The genovino was a gold coin used in the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( ; ; ) was a medieval and early modern Maritime republics, maritime republic from the years 1099 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italy, Italian coast. During the Late Middle Ages, it was a major commercial power in ...

from 1252 to 1415.

History

New supplies of gold arrived in Western Europe from

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, via caravans from the

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, which allowed

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and Genoa to inaugurate, from the

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, the minting of these currencies. The ''genovino'' was issued in

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

for the first time in 1252, shortly before the Florentine currency, and would be issued until 1415. The ''ottavino'' and ''quartarola'' (an eighth and a quarter of the ''genovino'') were also struck''.'' The coin had a weight of of 24 carats (i.e. pure gold) and its diameter was approximately . On its

obverse The obverse and reverse are the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''obverse'' ...

was the door of a castle, as was typical of medieval Genoese coins. Just like the earliest Genoese coins, on the ''genovino's'' rim was inscribed the Latin word IANUA meaning the god "Janus" or "door" (see Etymology of Genoa). From 1339 when Simone Boccanegra became the first

Doge of Genoa The Doge of Genoa ( ) was the head of state of the Republic of Genoa, a city-state and soon afterwards a Maritime republics, maritime republic, from 1339 until the state's extinction in 1797. Originally elected for life, after 1528 the Doge (ti ...

, the coin also contained the inscription X ''DVX IANVENSIVM PRIMVS''.

References

Republic of Genoa Obsolete Italian currencies Medieval currencies Coins of Italy {{Coin-stub

History

See also

References