Venetian Grosso

Recently pick up another coin type that has been on my list for quite some time, a venetian grosso with christ enthroned.




Italian States-Venice, Antonio Venier as Doge
AR Grosso, Type Three
1394-1399
Venice Mint
O: ANTO . VENERIO-. S . M . VENETI .
St. Mark and the Doge standing facing, holding pendant flag between them, D / V / X in center field
* | * across fields

R: . + . TIBI . LAVS-. 7 . GLORIA .
Christ, nimbate, enthroned facing, holding book of Gospels

22mm, 2.0g
Paolucci 37.3

this coin isn't quite so blue in hand, but i took this pic in full daylight...and it's truer to the coin than any of my indoor pics.

fell free to post a coin from Venice (I know some of you have some very nice ones that made me want to get one of these) or anything from the 14th century!

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Very cool coin chrsmat!!!

But, I have none to post

 

Not what I collect, but a nice coin nonetheless. Congrats.

 

Ive eyed these typed on occasion, just never bought one. Nice addition.

 

That coin is fricken gros, my friend!!



Fantastic new addition, brother ... I love those sweet medieval gros babies!!

Ummmm, I have a few examples ... wanna see 'em? (again)

=> chrsmat, I bought this sweetie after seeing your sweet serpent-example!!

The Duke of Milan, Bernabo and Galeazzo II Visconti, AR Grosso or Pegione
1355-1378 AD
Diameter: 25 mm
Weight: 2.50 grams
Obverse: Snake with maiden in its mouth between B G; above (an eagle) an aquiletta R/S
Reverse: Ambrose on the throne




Oh, and I have a couple more super gros examples for ya ...

LORRAINE, City of Metz, AR Gros
Provincial. Metz (évêché). Civic issues
1415-1540 A.D.
Weight: 2.93 grams
Obverse: S’ · STEPh’ · PROTh’ · m’ · (rosette stops), St. Étienne kneeling left; civic coat-of-arms of Metz to left and right; manus Dei above (two stars above the divine hand and a under the knees of the Saint)
Reverse: (shield) BИDICTV’ · SIT : nOmЄ’ · DNI’ · nRI’ · IhV’ · XPI’ ·/GROSVS (rosette) mETE (annulet and double annulet stops), cross pattée; star in each quarter



Duke of Lorraine, Charles IV (2nd reign)
AR Gros
1661-1670 A.D.
Weight: 1.21 grams
Obverse: Crowned shield of arms
Reverse: Eagle


wow dude, you've really been snaggin' a few cool medievals lately, eh? (well played)

 

thanks guys!

stevex, those are great...so is your charging knight coin.
that charles iv is super also, great details and color.

 

Awesome coin Chris, thin but a lot of detail.

mine..
Venice...1253 - 1268..AD..
Rainer Zeno..
AR grosso
22mm x 2.17g.




Also have a,
Bulgaria 1331- 1371..AD..
Ar.
Obv. Christ.
Rev. Ivan and Mihail. Father and son.
15mm x 1.36g.

 

that's a nice one!

 

Wow, nice medieval pieces all.

Darn it, steve beat me to it...

 

Pay close attention to the design and inscription of these Venetian coins. They are often passed off as much more expensive, though similar in appearance, Byzantine pieces.

 

This thread reminded me I didn't have a Venetian and the show yesterday provided this one like Eng's above. Researching it found a listing for this specimen (this coin, not just one like it) on acsearch with a price nearly double what I paid. This is the third time I have bought a coin that was cheaper than a certain dealer lists as having sold on acsearch. I suspect someone figures they benefit by fooling people into thinking coins sell for high prices when they did not sell in the sale and were later wholesaled to a small dealer who buys leftovers. It is a nice specimen but I would not pay the price of some sellers for a coin available in some quantity. It's tone does photograph well.
Venice...1253 - 1268..AD..
Rainier Zeno
AR grosso
22mm x 2.13g.

I will point out that the auction and flip gave the weight as 3.13g which is ridiculously high for a grosso. The coin weighs 2.13g so I just call it a typo.

 

I think I am the only guy without one of these coins. Nice example Chris!

@Eng very interesting to see both of these types together. I don't think I have seen them side by side quite like this. I like how they are very much the same yet very, very different coins.

 

oh wow, that's a beauty DS....sharp details and great color.

AN....with your recent medieval kick...you'll have to put a venetian coin higher on the list.

 

Don't have any either, but the pieces shown here are attractive. Would not consider them to be ancient (in my view, that period ends a couple of centuries before these were minted) but the title helped ...

Christian

 

Here's mine!

Doge Zeno

 

Lovely coins everyone. They are not considered ancient, even by collectors of ancients, but would collectors of moderns consider them modern? I have many recordings of "ancient" music, which in the world of performance practice means music of the medieval and renaissance periods. Also, my kids call me ancient and I was born in 1963.

 

I remain of the opinion that the separation between early and late should be between the medieval and modern rather than ancient and medieval and the impotant feature would be the making of coins by hand and the using of machines (roller dies, screw press, hydraulics replacing the old fashioned hammer. I do not propose CT have three sections but simple allow the people who collect proofs and NCLT a place separate from those who collect coins of the old fashion definition where the purpose was spending.

 

(not a history major) I had always been under the impression that early medieval was considered the end of "ancient" times, and this was according to european events. The separation was defined as early as end of Qin dynasty in the far east.

 

*Leans over and whispers* Genoa....

 

Mine Venetian Grosso aka Matapàn

Doge Giovanni Soranzo (IO SVRANTIO) 1312 - 1328



The Grosso in Venice

Under the reign of the Doge Enrico Dandolo (1192-1205), to solve the decline of the main european coin (penny or pfenning), there was the decisive breakthrough with a higher denomination coin of fine silver called Grosso or Matapàn.
This coin got immediately a huge success at the international level by becoming the "currency" more appreciated all over the Mediterranean area thanks to a wide-ranging economic policy intended to promote trade with the East.

The image of Dandolo appears on the Grosso coin: he is wearing a cloak and holding the “ducal promise” in his left hand while St. Mark presents him with the gonfalon (banner) in his right. On the reverse, Christ facing, sitting on a throne.

Etymology: GROSSO, literally big coin (it originally weighed 2.18 grams); MATAPAN from Arabic "mautaban" meaning "Christ seated".

The progressive devaluation of the Grosso Matapàn began towards the end of the 14th century because of the huge costs of the several wars of Venice, which force to reduce several times the official weight of the coins.

Grosso type 1 (or Matapàn) 1192-1356
2.18g (silver 96.5%)
Doge facing, without "Corno ducale" (typical Doge's hat)

Grosso type 2 1382-1400
1.98g (silver 95.2%)
Doge in profile, with "Corno ducale" (typical Doge's hat)
On the reverse, added a star and a P

Grosso type 3 1400-1423
1.82g (silver 91.2%)
Doge in profile, with "Corno ducale" (typical Doge's hat)
On the front, added two stars (or T and M for Doge Tommaso Mocenigo)
On the reverse, added GLORIA TIBI LAVS

Grosso type 4 (or Grossetto) 1423-1471
1.40g (silver 91.2%)
Like type 3 but different weight