Venice (1789)-GF 2 scudi Dav-1569
This specimen was lot 1064 in Sincona Auction 100 (Zürich, October 2025), where it sold for 19,000 CHF (about US$28,637 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"ITALIEN Venedig, Lodovico Manin, 1789-1797. 2 Scudi della croce o. J., Venezia. Dickabschlag von den Stempeln zu 1 Scudo zu 140 Soldi. .LUDOVICVS.MANIN.DVX.VENETIAR..G.F. Blumenkreuz. Rv. (Rosette) SANCTVS.MARCVS.VENET (Rosette) Verzierter Schild mit dem Marcuslöwen, im Abschnitt die Wertzahl 140 zwischen Rosetten. Äusserst selten. Prachtexemplar. Das durch NGC höchstbewertete Exemplar. (Italy, republic of Venice, Louis Manin, 1789-97, undated double scudo of the cross, Venice mint, double thick strike using regular scudo dies. Extremely rare. NGC MS66, Cabinet piece, Finest certified by NGC.)"
Giacomo Foscarini was mintmaster 1786-89 and his term overlapped that of Lodovico Manin in 1789 only, so we assume that was when this coin was struck. It is the only one of this denomination for this ruler. The "140" shown indicates that the coin was worth 140 soldi. The tallero was also theoretically 140 soldi but contained 110 soldi of silver. By this period, Venice was a ghost of her former power, surviving only on the sufferance of her Austrian and Turkish neighbors.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 62.97 g, 0.948 fine silver, this specimen 63.22 g.
Catalog reference: KM Pn206, Montenegro 3336 (Scudo). Dav-1569.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- Montenegro, Eupremio, Montenegro 2015: Manuale del Collezionista di Monete Italiane, 30 ed., Torino, Italy: Montenegro s.a.s., 2014.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 100: SINCONA Jubilee Auction, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2025.
Link to: