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12 Gros - Honore II
| Issuer | Principality of Monaco |
|---|---|
| Year | 1640 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | KM#21, Gad#MC7 |
| Obverse description | Draped bust of Honoré II, Prince of Monaco, facing right, with flowing hair, occupying the majority of the field. The circumferential Latin legend reads HONORATVS II D G PRINC MONOECI, with the date 1640 appearing in the lower portion of the field beneath the effigy. The coin exhibits the characteristic irregular flan and weak strike typical of hammered billon coinage of this period, with a beaded inner border visible around the periphery. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | HONORATVS II D G PRINC MONOECI 1640 |
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| Additional information |
Honoré II secured the title of Prince from Louis XIII in 1612, but Monaco's formal recognition as a sovereign principality under French protection came with the Treaty of Péronne in 1641 — making this 1640 issue one of the last coins struck before that diplomatic milestone reshaped the territory's political standing. Billon coinage of this period circulated alongside French, Savoyard, and Genoese issues in a region where monetary allegiance was as contested as territorial sovereignty.
Survivors in any condition above heavily worn are genuinely scarce; the small population of Monaco meant limited striking quantities, and billon corrodes aggressively in Mediterranean coastal environments.