ITALY. Papal Coinage. Innocent VIII, 1484-1492. Ducato Papale (Gold, 21 mm, 3.41 g, 12 h), Rome. •INNOCEN - TIVS•PP•VIII• Coat of arms surmounted by crossed keys and Papal tiara; all within quadrilobe. Rev. •SANCTVS•PETRVS• - •ALMA•ROMA St. Peter in boat left, pulling net from water with both hands. Berman 497. Friedberg -. MIR 488/1. Muntoni 2. A wonderful piece, very sharp and of attractive style. Good extremely fine.



Innocent VIII was a notably weak and dependent pope. As pontiff, he was primarily occupied with resolving his ongoing financial troubles. At times, he even pawned his miter, tiara, and parts of the papal treasury. His unusually close ties to the Ottoman Empire were also driven largely by financial interests.