1 Osella - Nicolò da Ponte

The osella was Venice's answer to a ceremonial problem: doges had traditionally distributed live wildfowl (uccelli, hence the name) as New Year's gifts to Council members, a practice formalized under Doge Giovanni Mocenigo and eventually monetized into struck silver pieces beginning in 1521. Each year's issue bore a unique reverse, making the series a de facto annual medal run financed by the doge personally rather than the state mint. Nicolò da Ponte, elected in 1578 at the remarkable age of eighty-six, issued osellas across six years of an unexpectedly long final dogeship.

The CNI references VII#330–332 indicate multiple die combinations documented for this year.