Beautiful antique French/Italian Medieval lead coin weight. Medieval lead weights featuring a fleur-de-lis (often referred to as "lys" weights) are commonly dated to the 14th to the 16th centuries, with a significant concentration of shield-shaped examples appearing from roughly AD 1380 to 1600. These items were primarily used to weigh silver coins and bullion, rather than as currency themselves. They were used by merchants, often connected to the wool trade, to check the weight of coins such as the gold noble or foreign currencies such as the Florentine florin. This particular piece is in excellent condition. It just needs to be cleaned. It would be the perfect piece for a collector and make a fabulous jewelry item. It measures 0.50" x 0.50" and is 400+ years old.
FUN FACT - These weights are often associated with Italian merchant involvement in the English wool trade, as the fleur-de-lis was a symbol of Florence.
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