Zecchino is
a powerfulgold coin weighed 3.5
grams of pure gold, minted by the Republic of Venice from 1284 to 1797. Initially
called ducato, then zecchino
from the name of the Venetian mint,
the "zecca". Having
an ancient gold
zecchino, one of the most
appreciated coins in the ancient world, means to have a truly amazing
piece of history of a
Republic so long renowned for its wealth, power, and commercial
enterprise. An incomparable gift for a student who is about to graduate
(graduation gift idea) in history, archeology, cultural heritage, etc.,
or to any person who is passionate about antiques.
Rare.
Robert of Taranto (Anjou),
Fr-38a. This
coin was minted in Achaia
as an imitation of the Venetian Ducats of Andrea
Dandalo.
Achaia was established during the Fourth Crusade as a Crusader State in
1205.
This coin has been listed at $2000 in Friedberg.
All
the coins are guaranteed and certified authentic and genuine. All the
coin's defect (that is not possible to see from the picture) are
carefully described.
The
Zecchino was the purest and most accurately measured gold coin in late
medieval Europe and as such it became the World's standard unit of
currency for nearly half a millennium.
This
coin was first created in the 13th century in Venice, the leading
trading power of the day, in order to counteract the influence of the
rival city of Florence and its gold coin, the florin. It portrays St
Mark handing the banner of the Venetian city-state to the kneeling
doge, as a sign that the ruler received his power from God. The
ducatus, called zecchino since XVI sec., became the major currency of
the eastern Mediterranean, and like many successful products it was
also imitated in other countries, for example in the Hapsburg Empire,
in Hungary, the Netherlands and in the Holy Roman Empire (medieval
Germany). Shakespeare mentions it many times in "The Merchant of
Venice," as well as in "Hamlet."