More on the florin . . .

The Italian florin was a coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard.  The "fiorino d'oro" of the Republic of Florence was the first European gold coin struck in sufficient quantities to play a significant commercial role since the seventh century. As many Florentine banks were international supercompanies with branches across Europe, the florin quickly became the dominant trade coin of Western Europe for large scale transactions.

The design of the original Florentine florin was the distinctive Florentine lily, the badge of the city on the front side (see post of Mar 5) and on the other a standing facing figure of St. John the Baptist wearing a hair shirt.  St John was the patron saint of the city, taking the place of Mars, the Roman god of war and the previous protector of the city.  Nowadays the Patron Saint is celebrated with the feasting and fireworks that are set off at Piazzale Michelangelo on the evening of June 24th.