Florentine Gold Standard

Timeline

1. 1501–1505Florence mint · FlorenceThe Florence mint, under Medici supervision, continued to strike gold florins bearing a lily and Saint John on the obverse and Florence's coat of arms on the reverse, of about 24K fineness and about 3.5 grams in weight; its reputation made the florin an international unit of account and reserve currency.
2. 1505–1510Florentine bank branches in Lyon and Bruges · LyonFlorentine bankers established branches in Lyon, Bruges, and elsewhere, settling international trade and court loans in florins; competing with the Venetine ducat in a rival gold standard, they supported Europe's long-distance commercial credit network in the early 16th century.