Lucca Denaro

The Lucca Denaro was struck using copper planchets that were sometimes recycled from older, worn coins, reflecting the republic's frugal approach to minting during turbulent times.

This coin, issued by the Republic of Lucca from the 12th century onward, featured simple designs like a cross or the city's lion emblem on one side. Variations appeared over the centuries as Lucca navigated alliances and conflicts, but the core remained unchanged. We know denominations shifted with economic pressures, yet specifics on annual outputs are murky; records from that era are scarce.

One odd detail: the coin's edge was often left unadorned, perhaps to speed production. No one knows for sure why.

Historians note that by the 1700s, inflation had devalued it considerably. It faded with Napoleon's conquest in 1800.