Venice (1789-97) 30 zecchini Fr-1438a

Heritage sale 3096, lot 30402

This specimen was lot 30402 in Heritage auction 3096 (Dallas, TX, March 2021), where it sold for $216,000. The catalog description^[1] noted,

"An Extraordinary Rarity from Venice's Final Doge. Venice. Ludovico Manin gold 30 Zecchini ND (1789-1797) AU58+ NGC, A splendid gold multiple from this final Venetian Doge, and an emission which instantly leaves an impression on its beholders. Though not the largest gold emission from his reign (an honor which belongs to the 105 Zecchini), the rarity of the present coin cannot be overstated, as this denomination was missing from the collections of Gnecchi, Morosini, and even Vittorio Emanuele III himself. Moreover, while Bellesia makes an entry for the 30 Zecchini, he records no sales records for the type in his Monete Italiane d'Oro. The only such example we have been able to locate at auction in recent memory, this offering complements its absolute scarcity with an enviable state of preservation. Fully struck-up in all of its facets, even the most minor of doubling in the legends does not obstruct appreciation of the designs; each element--from the ripples in St. Mark's and Manin's robes down to the ornate frills on the cushion on which the Doge kneels--are rendered in stunning clarity. Even while light chatter in the fields bounds the designation, this is quickly offset by a prominent degree of underlying luster, which brightens the surfaces from all angles. Simply a coin which must be viewed in-hand to be fully appreciated. From the Paramount Collection."

The SCWC lists this as 104.1 g, 0.999 fine gold. The doge struck numerous other multiple ducats. Napoleon invaded and occupied Venice with little resistance and sold the republic to Austria by the treaty of Campo Formio, terminating her independence.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 105 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 104.79 g.

Catalog reference: KM A764, Fr-1438a (Rare), CNI-Unl., Paolucci-131.4 (R5), Bellesia-416 (R5).

Source:

Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
^[1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano and Warren Tucker, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3096, featuring the Paramount Collection of World & Ancient Coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2021.

Link to:

Venice (1789-97) 30 zecchini Fr-1438a

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