Tornesel

Tornesel

The tornesel, tornesol, or tornese was a silver coin of Europe in the late Middle Ages and the early modern era. It took its name from the denier Tournois, the denier of Tours.

A denier Tournois coin

Marco Polo referred to the tornesel in recounts of his travels to East Asia when describing the currencies of the Yuan Empire.[1] His descriptions were based on the conversion of 1 bezant = 20 groats = 133⅓ tornesel.[1]

The reverse of a Two Sicilies ½ tornese coin

The tornese was a subunit of the Neapolitan, Sicilian, and Two Sicilies ducats.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Henry Yule. The Travels of Marco Polo: The Complete Yule-Cordier Edition. Third edition (1903), revised and updated by Henri Cordier. Plain Label Books. p. 1226-27. (ISBN 1603036156)

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