The mint of Maccagno Inferiore and its coins

· The exposition

The exposition

La Zecha di Macagno Corte Regale. Storie di zecchieri e falsari nella Maccagno dei Mandelli e dei Borromeo (secc. XVII-XVIII), Maccagno, Civico Museo "Parisi-Valle", April 13th - June 29th 2003

Organization: Civico Museo "Parisi-Valle" - Maccagno (VA)

Coordination: Daniela Martarelli

Scientific collaboration: Luca Gianazza, Carlo Alessandro Pisoni

The exposition examines the history of the mint of Maccagno Inferiore. A number of recent discoveries stemmed from researches made in the past few years have helped to better understand what the activities of the mint were and to define the juridical position of the mint of Maccagno Inferiore and its production in an international context of huge economic changes.

It intended to go beyond the simple analyses of the coins of Maccagno - all of them so far not entirely satisfactory, not to mention occasionally reductive. In this exhibition the mint was not seen only as the place where coins were minted, but many facets neglected in past researches were investigated, such as the imperial concessions, the use that was made of the coins, and the building in which they were minted.T

The exposition was divided into four main sections, and each one of them dealt with different aspects of the mint's production, as explained in the next paragraphs.

Section 1: The fief of Maccagno Inferiore

This section was about the history of the fief of Maccagno Inferiore from its origins (X century) to its abolition decided by Napoleon. Maccagno Inferiore lived an autonomous life, as it received orders directly from the Sacro Romano Impero; therefore, it had its own statutes and justice system, separated from those of the State of Milan. However, it was also continuously fighting with the State of Milan to have its privileges respected.

- The fief of Maccagno Inferiore: boundaries, privileges and administration

- The lords of Maccagno: the Mandellis and the Borromeos

- Juridical conflicts with the State of Milan

- The historical volumes about Maccagno Inferiore and the Verbano area in general

Section 2: Economy and currency in the XVII century

The huge monetary phenomena occurred in the XVII century were here examined, from Kipper und Wipper to the crisis of the State of Milan to the recovery in the second half of the century. The focus was on the coins produced during that century in Europe and especially in the State of Milan, with particular attention to the problem of counterfeit coins in Northern Italy made by small mints in Piedmont and in the areas of Emilia and Mantova.

- The European economic decline and the Kipper und Wipper crisis

- The production of counterfeit coins by mints in Northern Italy

- The value of coins: prices, edicts and fees

- Analysis of the material of the coins

Section 3: The mint of Maccagno Inferiore - institutional aspects

The juridical aspects of the mint of Maccagno Inferiore were examined here; this section featured the imperial concessions and other documents that allowed the Counts of Maccagno to obtain the necessary authorizations to mint coins within the fief from the Sacro Romano Impero.

- The right to mint: privilege and business

- Honor and duties connected with the imperial privileges

- The sale of the fief and the right to mint

Section 4: The mint's activity

This section displayed the actual coins made by the mint, and gave also useful information about the organizational and logistic characteristics of the building in which the mint was, its evolution and changes in the following centuries, the contracts, and the coins' circulation.

- The building

- The contract

- The coins' circulation

- Selection of coins

All the material - which includes many documents that were never displayed before - comes from public and private collections in the area of Maccagno. Among those who kindly lent the material: Archivio Borromeo dell'Isola Bella (kind permission of the Borromeo Arese family), Archivio Storico della Diocesi di Como, Civiche Raccolte Numismatiche di Milano.