Parma and Piacenza coins catalog

Duchy of Parma and Piacenza (1556–1859)

In 1545 the territories south of the Po River were separated from the Duchy of Milan, with Parma as its capital, and given to the illegitimate son of Pope Paul III, Pier Luigi Farnese.

In 1556, the city of Piacenza was annexed to the new duchy.

The Dukes of Farnese ruled quite skillfully, achieving impressive not only economic but also cultural development of the region.

All that changed in 1628, when sixteen-year-old Odoardo took over.
In 1630 the duchy was devastated by the plague.
Odoardo, in order to maintain a huge army, went into debt and plundered his subjects, but it was no use. His troops were defeated by Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena, and Piacenza was occupied by the Spanish.

In 1691 Parma was captured by the army of the Holy Roman Empire, but Duke Ranuccio II was not prevented from leading a carefree life in the palace, for which he imposed additional taxes on the population, which already suffered from the oppression of imperial soldiers.

Francesco Farnese (1694-1729) tried to return his state to normalcy. He reduced the expenditures of the court, built a dam, and promoted the expansion of the University of Parma. In 1714 he managed to marry his niece Elizabeth to King Philip V of Spain.
Since Francesco had no children, the title was inherited by his brother Antonio, and after his death in 1731, by the son of that very niece Elizabeth, wife of Philip V of Spain.

The Infante Carlos of Spain came to the throne at the age of 15 as Charles I. By the Treaty of Vienna in 1738, he ceded both duchies to the emperor in exchange for the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily.

The Austrian Habsburgs ruled until the conclusion of the War of the Austrian Succession (1748), after which the duchy passed to the Infante Philip, Charles I's younger brother.

In 1796 the duchy was occupied by Napoleon. Under the French, Duke Ferdinand retained his throne.
In 1801, by agreement between the Bourbons (to this family, I remind you, belonged the Dukes of Parma since Charles I) and Napoleon, the duchy passed to France.
Full accession to the French Empire took place only in 1808.

In 1814 the duchy was given to Napoleon's wife Marie-Louise. After her death in 1847, the Bourbon-Parma family returned, which at this time ruled the tiny duchy of Lucca.

The Bourbons were driven out by the Revolution of 1859, after France and Sardinia won the war against Austria.

In December 1859, the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza was united with the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the Duchy of Modena, forming the United Provinces of Central Italy. In March 1860, they united with the Kingdom of Sardinia, which changed its name to the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

 

 

Lira=20 soldi; Soldo=12 denari

Antonio Farnese (1727-1731)

coin Parma sesino (6 denari) no date (1727-1729)
sesino (6 denari) no date (1727-1729)

copper
SALUS MUNDI
ANTON I F P P DVX VIII
Value - 15-20 USD

 

 

 

 

 

Coins of Parma and Piacenza in the catalog are presented divided by historical periods, indicating the main characteristics and differences by type.
Inside the sections, the coins are sorted by denomination - from large to small.
The cost of the coin is approximate and is indicated specifically for the coin shown in the picture. You can use this price to evaluate similar coins (of the same type), but remember that the value is affected by many factors, such as the state of preservation and the date of minting. The cost of coins of the same type can vary greatly depending on the number of surviving copies.
Coins of Parma and Piacenza presented on this page are not sold or bought - this is only a catalog.