1 Osella - Francesco Morosini

The osella was Venice's answer to a tradition that predated coinage entirely — doges had long gifted wild birds (oselle) to the Great Council each New Year. When the bird supply grew impractical, struck silver pieces replaced them, beginning in 1521. Gold osellas were rarer still, reserved for diplomatic presentations and extraordinary recipients rather than routine distribution to councillors.

Francesco Morosini's tenure as Doge followed his recapture of the Peloponnese from the Ottomans — the most significant Venetian military victory in a generation — and his osellas reflect that political capital. The Senate elected him Doge in absentia in 1688 while he was still commanding in the field.