Grosso of Ivan Alexander and Mihail Asen IV, Coin from Bulgaria, Second Kingdom of - detailed information

The Medieval Bulgarian grosso (gros, gross) was a small circulating silver coin struck in the Second Bulgarian Kingdom in the 14th century. In modern Bulgarian language it is spelled грош (grosh or grosch), plural грошове (groshove). The name was originally introduced in 13th-century France as [denarius] grossus, literally "a thick penny", whence Old French gros, Italian grosso, Middle High German gros(se), Low German and Dutch grōte and English groat. In the 14th century, it appeared as Old Czech groš, whence Modern German Groschen.

No contemporary Bulgarian documents have survived, so it is not actually sure if the coins were thus called at the time. In style, the coins were imitative of the contemporary Venetian or other Western European coinage. They circulated until the end of the 14th century, at which time the country was conquered by the Ottomans and independent coinage ceased.

Silver Grosso coins of Ivan Alexander and Mihail Asen IV are usually listed as dated "1331 - 1371", but this is the time when Ivan Alexander (variously spelled also as John Alexander or Ioan Alexander) was emperor. There was a period when he had Mihail Asen IV (also spelled as Michael Assen IV) as co-emperor, then both his sons (Mihail Asen IV and Ivan Asen IV), then Ivan Asen IV was killed in battle and Ivan Alexander co-reigned with Mihail Asen IV again.

Given that during their first co-reign the son was still a child, while the coin shows him as a grown man, it was probably issued during the second co-reign, i.e. between 1349 and 1355.