To each lordship its own coin
The mint began its activity on 17 April 1558, a date known thanks to a letter with which Vespasian Gonzaga He informed Guglielmo Gonzaga of the start of minting coins in the new city. The mint was located near the bastion of San Giorgio, in the area now known as Via della Zecca.
The mint was managed by the goldsmith and sculptor Andrea Cavalli, a figure of great technical and artistic expertise. Coins were minted here that were not only an economic instrument, but also a symbol of the autonomy and prestige of the small Gonzaga state.
After Vespasiano's death, activity gradually declined, but the mint continued to operate for the successive lords of Sabbioneta, including Isabella Gonzaga, her husband Luigi Carafa, and her nephew Nicolás María de Guzmán. Its activity finally ceased in 1684.
