★ Conduit of the Black Death ★

GENOESE CAFFA: Filippo Maria Visconti (1421-1435) AR Asper. 0.9g, 15mm.
Obv: DV_M.D.:CAF; The arms of Genoa in a beaded oval of four arches, three dots to side and below of portal.
Rev: Small Jujid tamga with 1 dot. Circular Arabic legend, السلطان العادل محمد خان (The Just Ruler, Muhammad Khan).
cf. Retowski, Genoese-Tartar Coinage, no. 15, de Wit 3957-8.
Ex. Andy Singer.
From the NJC Smith Collection.

Caffa has the distinction of being the first European city to have a record of contracting the Black Death in 1346. The city was controlled by the Genoese as a Silk Road trading outpost in Mongol controlled lands. However, as the Visconti family attempted to unify northern Italy in the 14th century, they would take control of Genoa for Milan, and thus also Caffa. The arms of Genoa are thus present on the obverse, and the tamga for the ruling Mongol emperor is found on the reverse.