1 Osella - Pietro Grimani

The osella was Venice's answer to a ceremonial gap left by the decline of live bird gifts — doges had traditionally distributed wild ducks (uccelli) to the Senate each New Year, and when the practice became impractical, struck silver medals took their place beginning in 1521. Pietro Grimani, elected doge in 1741, commissioned this gold example for 1744, a format reserved for presentation to figures of particular political consequence rather than the standard silver distributed more broadly.

Gold osellas of any reign are substantially rarer than their silver counterparts and were never intended for circulation.