Tuscany Testone

The Tuscany Testone's most striking feature is its detailed portrait of the ruling Grand Duke, a Medici innovation that turned a simple coin into a propaganda tool for Tuscan power. These silver pieces, minted in Florence and other cities, often weighed around 9.5 grams and carried a value of 10 soldi, reflecting the era's economic shifts.

Struck from locally sourced silver, sometimes including bullion from Spanish trade routes, the Testone varied in design over two centuries. Early examples under Cosimo I show a bust facing right; later ones, like those from the 1600s, might feature ornate shields or dates that pinpoint the reign. We don't know exact mintages for most years—the records are spotty, lost to time and Tuscany's turbulent history.

Design flaws occasionally appeared, such as off-center strikes that made the Duke look a bit lopsided. As if he needed more problems.