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50 Zecchini - Paolo Renier
| Issuer | Republic of Venice |
|---|---|
| Year | 1779-1789 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Saint Mark, the patron of Venice, stands at left in long robes, presenting a staff surmounted by a cross to the kneeling Doge at right, who receives it with both hands in a gesture of investiture. The legend PAVLVS · RAINERIVS · S · M · VENETVS DVX surrounds the scene, with DVX inscribed vertically between the two figures. The composition follows the traditional Venetian ducal iconography, rendered in high relief against a flat field. |
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| Mintage | ND (1779-1789) - Rare |
| Additional information |
Paolo Renier served as the penultimate Doge of Venice, dying in office in 1789 — the year the French Revolution began dismantling the political order that would, within eight years, extinguish the Republic entirely. The 50 Zecchini was among the largest gold multiples struck by the Venetian mint, the Zecca, and issues of this scale were never intended for ordinary commerce. They functioned as state gifts, diplomatic presentations, and treasury instruments between sovereign powers.
The Zecca's reputation for gold purity was genuinely extraordinary by 18th-century standards — Venetian zecchini had maintained consistent fineness since the 13th century, which is precisely why they remained trusted across Mediterranean and Levantine trade networks long after Venice had ceased to be a meaningful military power.