The osella was Venice's annual New Year gift coin, presented by the Doge to members of the Great Council as a substitute for the live wildfowl — uccelli, later contracted to oselle — that had been distributed since the medieval period. Lodovico Manin, who issued this piece, holds the grim distinction of being the last Doge of Venice; five years after this striking, he surrendered the city to Napoleon without a fight, reportedly weeping as he handed over his ducal cap.
Gold osellas were reserved for the most senior recipients. The 1792 issue falls in the final tranquil years before the French ultimatum ended over a millennium of republican rule.
The osella was Venice's annual New Year gift coin, presented by the Doge to members of the Great Council as a substitute for the live wildfowl — uccelli, later contracted to oselle — that had been distributed since the medieval period. Lodovico Manin, who issued this piece, holds the grim distinction of being the last Doge of Venice; five years after this striking, he surrendered the city to Napoleon without a fight, reportedly weeping as he handed over his ducal cap.
Gold osellas were reserved for the most senior recipients. The 1792 issue falls in the final tranquil years before the French ultimatum ended over a millennium of republican rule.