The florin (Italian coin) was created in 1252 and replaced the much less valuable silver coins that dated back to the days of Charlemagne. The florin was unique because it was the first gold coin of Europe struck in sufficient quantities to actually play a significant commercial role since the 7th century. The florin quickly became the dominant trade coin in Western Europe because of the fact that many Florentine banks were international entities that had branches all across Europe. The widespread impact of the florin is seen by the fact that in the 14th century, over 100 European states and their coin-issuing authorities made their own copies of the florin.