ITALY - LIVORNO (Tuscany) - COSME III DE MEDICIS - Lot 421

ITALY - LIVORNO (Tuscany) - COSME III DE MEDICIS Grand Duke of Tuscany May 23, 1670 - October 31, 1723 His draped bust wearing the Iron Crown. R/. View of the port of Livorno. ♦ CNI 75 p.43; Dav 1498 Silver thaler 1699 Florence. (27,00 g) Beautiful medallion patina. Small nick on edge on reverse. Very nice. Copy Collection du Dr J.-P. G. (March 1975) n°448 Cosimo III was the son of Ferdinand II de' Medici and Vittoria della Rovere. His long reign did not reverse the decline of Tuscany. Highly pious and even bigoted, he stopped protecting scholars against the Inquisition and imposed an austere lifestyle on Florentines, who were accustomed to partying. In 1661, he married Marguerite Louise d'Orléans, daughter of Gaston de France (brother of Louis XIII). As jovial and frivolous as he was bigoted and austere, they separated in 1675. They had 3 children, including Jean Gaston de Médicis, the last Grand Duke of Tuscany.