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1 Osella - Alvise Mocenigo III
| Issuer | Republic of Venice |
|---|---|
| Year | 1725 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 14.16 g |
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| Reverse description | A crowned allegorical female figure representing Venezia is enthroned at center, her seat rising dramatically from the sea, with the Lion of St. Mark crouching obediently at her feet. In the middle and far distance, five sailing vessels traverse the open water, alluding to the maritime dominion of the Serene Republic. The biblical motto, drawn from Psalm 46, arcs across the upper field in Latin, while the date 1725 appears prominently in the lower exergue. The composition is rendered in a refined baroque engraving style consistent with Venetian osella production of the period. |
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| Mint | Venice Mint (Zecca di Venezia) |
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| Additional information |
The osella was never legal tender in any conventional sense — it began as a gift of wild ducks (uccelli) presented annually by the Doge to members of the Venetian Senate, a tradition monetized in the late sixteenth century when the birds were replaced with struck silver pieces. By Mocenigo III's tenure, the annual gold issues had become instruments of political patronage, distributed to patricians as calculated displays of ducal largesse rather than circulating currency. They were kept, not spent.
Mocenigo III served as Doge from 1722 to 1732, a period of studied Venetian neutrality as the surrounding powers maneuvered toward the War of the Polish Succession.