Catalog
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| Issuer | Republic of Venice |
|---|---|
| Year | 1741-1752 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Gold |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Pietro Grimani served as Doge from 1741 until his death in 1752, and the 12 Zecchini oselle was among the most prestigious presentation pieces the Venetian mint produced — struck not for commerce but as diplomatic gifts and ducal largesse. By the mid-eighteenth century Venice was financially exhausted, its eastern trading empire reduced to a handful of contested outposts, yet the Republic continued commissioning these heavy gold multiples as performance of a sovereignty it could barely afford to project.
The zecchino itself took its name from the Zecca, the Venetian mint operating since the thirteenth century on the Piazzetta.