Abstract
In 1252 Genoa and Florence embarked upon the issuance of gold coins. Although Genoa's effort ultimately failed due to an internal economic crisis, the Florentine florin dominated the international money markets of western Europe and beyond for the next two and a half centuries. Lucca, Florence's Tuscan neighbor, likewise ventured into the issuance of a gold coin at least by 1256. However, Lucca's gold issue was apparently of a modest scale and never mounted a challenge to the florin. This article establishes the date ante quern at which Lucca made her return to gold and attempts to explain why the Lucchese gold groat did not become a significant factor in Europe's earliest experiment with bimetallism.
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