Gold Zecchino (Ducat) of Doge Ludovico Manin

Expand

IIIFView PDF

Images(2)

Gold Zecchino (Ducat) of Doge Ludovico Manin

Place of OriginItaly, Venice

Date1789-1797

DimensionsMax Diam: 21.21 mm (2.1 cm); Weight: 3.48 grams

MediumGold.

ClassificationMetalwork

Credit LineGift of the Popplestone Family

Object number

2006.107

Not on View

DescriptionGold zecchino (ducat) of Ludovico Manin, the last Doge of Venice. Obverse: St. Mark standing right, presenting a banner to the kneeling Doge; legend LVDOV MANIN. Reverse: Christ standing within a mandorla of stars; legend SIT T XPE DAT Q TV REGIS ISTE DVCAT.

Label TextMinted under the last Doge of Venice, Ludovico Manin, this gold "zecchino" (or ducat) represents the final years of the Venetian Republic before its fall to Napoleon. For centuries, the Venetian ducat was the "dollar of the Middle Ages," maintaining a consistent weight and purity that made it the standard for international trade. The imagery represents the divine sanction of Venetian rule, with the city’s patron, Saint Mark, bestowing authority upon the Doge.