Florentine Picciolo

The Florentine Picciolo's most striking feature is its consistent use of the Florentine lily on its obverse, a design element that persisted through political upheavals from the Medici era to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

This small silver coin, typically weighing under two grams, was struck in Florence and its dependencies over two centuries, serving as a workhorse for everyday transactions. Planchets were sometimes sourced from recycled silver, including scraps from larger coins, reflecting the practical economics of the time. We know variations existed, with some issues showing crude strikes due to wartime shortages, but exact mintages remain murky—many records vanished in later conflicts.

As for myths, the idea that every Picciolo was a Medici plot is nonsense; it was just currency. If you squint, it might pass for a modern token in your pocket.

Details on later variants, like those from the 1700s under Austrian influence, are scarce, with few specimens surviving in decent condition.