Femmine da conio : Una metafora monetaria [Une métaphore monétaire = A Monetary Metaphor]

The expression «femmine da conio» in canto XVIII of Dante’s Inferno has had very different interpretations, by ancient and modern commentators. In this essay we propose a solution, analyzing the use of the word «conio» in Dante’s Commedia and the context of canto XVIII; the theme of prostitution and of women’s exploitation by men condemned to hell. Finally, we explain the techniques of coinage in the late Middle Ages, and the images that these techniques could suggest to the first readers of the Commedia. The metaphor thus becomes clear: we can understand the meaning of the expression used by Dante, and the overall meaning of canto XVIII.