Italian banker from the middle age.

During the middle age the italian business men were working in family. It was a risky job, lending money to the powerful men was a dangerous game. And many of them finished killed, with a parody of justice. At that time being a banker is at the opposite of what being a banker is now !
The counter below is from the family Gherardi (monogram DG with a cross) their town was Prato in Italy.

Jeton de compte d'une famille lombarde les Gherardi de la ville de Prato. Leurs activités étaient multiple, banquier (souvent usurier) et commerçant, ils faisaient du commerce et du transfert de fonds pour leurs clients. Leur activité était très risquée et correspondait à celle de véritables hommes d'affaires , à l'opposition de ce que sont devenus les banquiers actuels .