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1 Osella - Alvise Mocenigo IV
| Issuer | Republic of Venice |
|---|---|
| Year | 1764 |
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| Currency | Lira (1752-1797) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A five-line Latin dedicatory inscription naming Doge Alvise Mocenigo IV as donor, incorporating the regnal year A·II and the date 1764, all enclosed within an elaborate baroque ornamental frame. The ducal corno (ducal cap) of the Doge of Venice surmounts the inscription at the top of the composition. The overall design is characteristic of the Venetian osella tradition, presented as a formal annual gift from the reigning doge. |
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| Additional information |
The osella was never legal tender in any conventional sense — struck annually by the Venetian doge as a New Year's gift to members of the Great Council, it replaced the live wildfowl (uccelli) that had been distributed by tradition since the ninth century. Mocenigo IV, elected doge in 1763, issued this gold example in just the second year of his reign. Gold osellas are exceptional survivals; the vast majority of the series was struck in silver, making gold strikings effectively presentation pieces reserved for the highest-ranking recipients or foreign dignitaries.