Tornesel
{{Short description|Silver coin from Europe}}
Image:Denier tournois 1270.jpg
The tornesel, tornesol, or {{lang|it|tornese}} was a silver coin of Europe in the Late Middle Ages and the early modern era.
History
{{see also|History of coins in Italy}}
It took its name from the {{lang|fr|denier tournois}}, the {{lang|fr|denier}} of Tours. Marco Polo referred to the tornesel in recounts of his travels to East Asia when describing the currencies of the Yuan Empire.Henry Yule. [http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/y#a5823 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}}) His descriptions were based on the conversion of 1 bezant = 20 groats = 133⅓ tornesel.
Image:Two Sicilies 1849 coin - half tornese (reverse).jpg ½-{{lang|it|tornese}} coin]]
The {{lang|it|tornese}} was a subunit of the Neapolitan, Sicilian, and Two Sicilies ducats.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Historic Italian currency and coinage}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Medieval history of Italy
Category:Obsolete Italian currencies
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