Modena Doppio Giulio

The Modena Doppio Giulio, a silver coin from the Duchy of Modena, featured the portrait of the ruling Este duke on its obverse, a design that changed with each succession and reflected the family's enduring grip on power.

This meant that over its two-century run, from 1650 to 1859, the coin's face evolved from one duke to the next, sometimes showing rulers as young as their twenties or as old as their policies. Struck in various finenesses of silver, depending on the era's economic pressures, it typically weighed around 9 grams and carried a value equivalent to two giulios.

Mintage figures vary by year, and records for many periods were likely destroyed in local upheavals, so precise numbers remain elusive. What we do know is that these coins circulated widely in northern Italy, often alongside foreign imports.

The reverses usually depicted a coat of arms or religious symbols, underscoring Modena's ties to the Papal States. If you handle one, note the edge lettering—it's a nice touch, though not always crisp on worn examples.