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1 Osella - Alvise Mocenigo II
| Issuer | Republic of Venice |
|---|---|
| Year | 1703 |
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| Currency | Lira (1618-1752) |
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| Reverse description | The Lion of St. Mark strides vigorously to the left, holding a sword upright in its raised right forepaw, a design emblematic of Venetian maritime and military authority. The exergue below contains a two-line inscription recording the regnal year ANN. IIII and the date 1703. The field is plain, focusing attention on the boldly rendered lion passant-guardant figure. The reverse legend SVO RVM IVRA TVETVR, meaning 'He protects the rights of his people,' encircles the design. |
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| Mint | Venice Mint (Zecca di Venezia) |
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| Additional information |
The osella was an annual Venetian presentation piece, distributed by the doge each New Year in lieu of the live birds (uccelli) once gifted to the Great Council — a tradition formalized under Doge Leonardo Donà in 1521. Alvise Mocenigo II held the dogeship from 1700 until his death in 1709, a tenure dominated by the War of the Spanish Succession and Venice's increasingly strained neutrality. The gold osella, as opposed to the far more common silver striking, was reserved for recipients of the highest diplomatic and political rank.
CNI VIII records only a handful of confirmed gold examples across the Mocenigo II series.