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2 Doppie - Honoré II
| Issuer | Monaco |
|---|---|
| Year | 1656 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Honoré II, Prince of Monaco, facing right, depicted with long flowing hair typical of the mid-17th century baroque style. The effigy shows the prince in armored dress with elaborate detailing on the cuirass. The surrounding Latin legend is distributed along the periphery of the flan. The overall strike is characteristic of hammered gold coinage of the period, with some weakness and irregularity in the flan. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A large ornate letter H, serving as the initial of Honoré II, displayed prominently in the center of the field within a decorative framework of olive or laurel branches. The monogram is surmounted by a princely crown, and the date 1656 appears integrated within the surrounding legend. The reverse legend encircles the entire design, invoking divine protection, consistent with the devotional inscriptions common to Monegasque coinage of this era. |
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| Additional information |
Honoré II secured recognition of Monaco's independence from Spain in 1641 by switching allegiance to France under the Treaty of Péronne — a calculated gamble that reshaped the principality's political footing entirely. This coin was struck fifteen years into that new arrangement, during a period when Honoré was actively projecting sovereignty through coinage with an ambition uncommon for so small a state.
Monaco's 17th-century gold issues are genuinely rare survivors; the principality's mint output was modest by any measure, and pieces of this denomination saw little circulation beyond diplomatic and courtly exchange.