Tuscany, 1585 Giulio, St. Francis Of Assisi

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

Author	Replies: 7 / Views: 1,474
tdziemia Pillar of the Community United States 7947 Posts	Posted 09/29/2018 9:46 pm The feast of St. Francis of Assisi falls this Thursday, Oct. 4. That means our church will hold its annual blessing of the animals next weekend. I attended in earlier years with other dogs, but the one we have now? Ehhh .. not so much. I'm not sure if St. Francis is featured on many coins, but I nabbed this one at an H.D. Rauch auction a few years ago for my saints collection. I find the imagery interesting. A muscular John (patron of Florence) looks directly at Francis, who looks away. Perhaps signifying the city-state (Florence as represented by John the Baptist) is more important than any individual leader? (Francis). Or Tuscany vs. the Church? I was once asked how many of the saints for whom the California missions were named can be found on coins. I never pursued the question in detail, but of course this one translates to San Francisco! Tuscany/Florence. Giulio 1585. CNI XXII 11. Rev: Facing Saints John the Baptist (patron of Florence) and Francis of Assisi. IOA B PRO FRANCISC (John the Baptist, Protector. Francis) Obv: Medici coat of arms. FRAN M MAGN DUX ETRURIAE (Francesco di Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany) Edited by tdziemia 09/30/2018 07:49 am Report this Post to the Staff

thisistheshow Pillar of the Community United States 987 Posts	Posted 09/29/2018 9:55 pm That's awesome! Thanks for sharing! Report this Post to the Staff
Kamnaskires Pillar of the Community United States 7066 Posts	Posted 09/29/2018 10:14 pm Great coin. I suspect Francis would have loved and blessed even your "Ehhh" dog, Ted. You're not kidding about John here. Looks like he should be wearing a lion's skin headdress and holding a club instead of a long cross. Strongly recommended reading regarding the Medici's: April Blood: Florence and the Plot against the Medici by Lauro Martines. Fascinating reading, although the main events it chronicles took place during the quattrocento, a century before this coin was struck. Report this Post to the Staff
echizento Moderator United States 23731 Posts	Posted 09/30/2018 08:41 am Excellent coin, it looks like St Francis is turning his head away from the Cross which seems odd. St Francis had a remarkable life. Report this Post to the Staff
tdziemia Pillar of the Community United States 7947 Posts	Posted 09/30/2018 12:44 pm Quote: it looks like St Francis is turning his head away from the Cross which seems odd. I agree, and think there must be some symbolism there, but I don't know exactly what. The longest running depiction of St. John the Baptist, on the gold florin, is a more medieval image, but shows him clad humbly in a camel hair cloak or coat, consistent with the biblical reference in Mark 1: "Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey." This depiction is a more heroic looking John (other coins of this Medici duke have him almost looking like Michaelangel's David). Since John is the patron saint of Florence, it makes me think this depiction of John is about the might of Florence. I agree Francis' pose is confusing. Normally, we would expect a saint being deferential only to God. So, maybe Francis is also a representation. Assisi is in Umbria, the state that borders Tuscany to the east, and it was under papal rule in the 16th century. So maybe Francis represents Umbria being under threat from Florence? Or something more benign like "our saint is greater than your saint." Edited by tdziemia 09/30/2018 12:47 pm Report this Post to the Staff
xxmarkabyx Valued Member United States 80 Posts	Posted 10/01/2018 08:21 am It's October, so I immediately looked at John as Van Helsing using the cross to scare off Dracula (Francis). Really cool coin, I love the reverse, as well Report this Post to the Staff
Finn235 Pillar of the Community United States 6130 Posts	Posted 10/01/2018 10:17 am Really cool depiction in that coin! St. Francis was indeed a fascinating person. Half a lifetime ago I picked him as my patron saint to be confirmed under. I'm actually the current owner (although it's at my mom's house for safe keeping) of a relic of St. Francis; a necklace with a tiny sliver of bone taken from his skeleton that has been in the family for four generations. I'll have to see if I can get a picture of it next time I'm back down there. Report this Post to the Staff
tdziemia Pillar of the Community United States 7947 Posts	Posted 10/02/2018 8:36 pm Quote: I immediately looked at John as Van Helsing using the cross to scare off Dracula (Francis). Really cool coin Very funny! But the Franciscan robes are brown, not black. Quote: St. Francis was indeed a fascinating person. Half a lifetime ago I picked him as my patron saint to be confirmed under. I'm the current owner ... of a relic of St. Francis Needless to say, I think you need to be looking for this coin to add to your collection. Edited by tdziemia 10/02/2018 8:40 pm Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 7 / Views: 1,474

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

All Forums Category: World Coins and Currency Forums Forum: Ancient, Greek, Roman, and Medieval Coins

The First Dollar, your premier source for bullion and rare coins. See our bullion list on the site and the coin inventory on ebay.

Silver Gold Bull US is the United States leading bullion dealer. We deliver gold coins, gold bars, silver coins, silver bars and precious metals to your door. Order today!

View Last 100 New Topics

View Last 100 Active Topics

Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us | Advertise Here | Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum

It took 0.26 seconds to rattle this change.