Venice 1797-ZV 10 lire Dav-1577
This specimen was lot 24267 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2018), where it sold for $384. The catalog description[1] noted, "ITALY. Venice. 10 Lire, 1797-ZV. PCGS EF-40 Secure Holder. A single year issue struck by occupying French forces after they landed at Lido on April 25, 1797. The Doge (Lodovico Manin) surrendered on May 12 and went into exile shortly thereafter. A coin from early in Napoleon's conquest of Europe, and highly desirable on a number of different levels. Weakly struck in the centers as usual, lightly toned." The Duchy of Venice was actually an oligarchy nominally ruled by an elected doge. Venetian independence was terminated by the Napoleonic invasions and the area fell to Austria in 1797. This type, issued during a brief French occupation, is noted for 1797 only. "ZV" is not a mintmaster's initials but "Zecca Veneto", i.e., Mint of Venice. In the peace of Campo Formio of that year, Napoleon traded Venice to Austria in exchange for Milan. Venice never recovered her independence.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 28.47 g, .826 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Dav-1577, KM C155a.
- 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.
- [1]Ponterio, Richard, Kyle Ponterio, John Kraljevich and Cris Chatigny, The January 2018 NYINC Sale: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Eldorado Collection of Colombian and Ecuadorian Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2017.
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