Genoese Quattrino

The Genoese Quattrino, despite its diminutive size, was often struck on copper planchets that had been recycled from worn-out larger coins, keeping Genoa's economy thrumming on a shoestring.

These copper pieces, minted from 1550 through 1797, bore variations of the Genoese cross or the city's initials, depending on the era's political winds. Designs shifted as the Republic of Genoa allied with or against powers like Spain and France, but the core remained simple: a coin for small transactions, from buying bread to paying dockhands.

We don't know the exact mintage numbers; records from that period are as scarce as uncirculated specimens today. What is clear is that counterfeits abounded, given the coin's low value.

Some collectors swear by the patina on these survivors, but that's just patina.