Florentine Florin

About Florentine Florin

The first major European gold coin since the fall of Rome. Florence minted the fiorino with the lily of Florence on one side and John the Baptist on the other. Contained 3.5 grams of pure gold. The florin became the trusted international trade coin of Europe for over 300 years. Over 80 European mints copied the florin, including the Hungarian forint which still exists today. The Bardi and Peruzzi banking families managed florin transfers across the continent.