Florentine Gold Florin

Timeline

1. 1252–1280Florence · FlorenceThe Florentine commune set up an official minting workshop next to the Baptistery of Saint John, issuing gold florins of stable fineness and uniform weight, replacing the previously inconsistent gold coins of various workshops and providing a trustworthy unit of account for the expansion of the city's banking.
2. 1321–1330Mediterranean trade network · MediterraneanBy the early 14th century the florin had become the gold coin of choice for long-distance Mediterranean trade; Florentine bankers settled wool, spice, and silk transactions with it, and merchants of various lands converted local currencies by florin fineness, promoting the development of long-distance credit and bills of exchange.
3. c. 1284–1500Venice and Genoa · VeniceVenice, Genoa, and French states successively issued gold coins matching the florin in weight and fineness, forming a late-medieval Mediterranean gold coin rivalry; the florin long retained its credibility advantage and became the reference standard for naming gold coins in various countries.
4. c. 1600–1860Grand Duchy of Tuscany · TuscanyAfter the 17th century, national currencies and paper money rose and the florin's international standing gradually declined; the Medici and successor grand duchies still maintained minting until, after Italian unification in the 19th century, the Tuscan lira replaced the florin, ending the gold coin tradition.