I rarely Buy ancients with exception to a huge lot I bought a year ago and recently cleaned. But I saw this one and decided to get it. I believe its a 1252-1268 Silver Grosso 20.2mm 2.06g bearing Doge (governor) Zeno with St. Mark on the obverse and Christ seated on a throne on the reverse. It looked like it had good detail and minimal wear from what I can tell. Any thoughts or comments are welcomed since this is a new side of my coin collecting. thanks chris
Don't feel bad I know even less LOL. but I really liked the design and with Christ on the coin you cant go wrong.
Seriously, neither of us can call our Zeno 'minimal' with regards to wear with those flat noses and other details. Still they are nicer than average for these where strike means more than wear. Grade letters are a joke on ancients and medievals (which this is being way too late to be 'ancient'). I'd call your coin an excellent old coin well worth having but it will not appeal to the condition centered crowd. http://www.acsearch.info/search.htm...s=1¤cy=usd&thesaurus=1&order=0&company= There are nicer ones but there are worse in the above list. My coin is there but I bought it a year after that sale for 1/3 less than this sale records. Grading ancients is largely a matter of opinion as is pricing.
Got a couple of Venetian coins: Louis the Pious, Carolingian Empire AR Denier Obv: +HLVDOVVICVS IMP, legend around cross in circle Rev: +VEN/ECIAS, legend in two lines Mint: Venice (struck 818-840 AD) Ref: MG 456v, MEC 789 Doge Reneiro Zeno, Republic of Venice AR grosh Obv: Christ enthroned, facing, wearing nimbus and holding book of gospels. Rev: RA CENO DVX - S M VENETI, doge standing left and receiving banner from Saint Mark standing right, holding book of gospels. Mint: Venice (struck 1253-1268) Ref: Gamberini 32; Biaggi 2775
Here's my Venetian coin Francesco Contarini. 95th Doge of Venice. Scudo Della Croce. One of Venice's shortest reigning Doges who ruled for only 14 Months.
It is a Ventian Grosso, an important coin in numismatics history. It spearheaded several imitation coins throughout Eastern Christendom. For more information, I suggest you download the following free and legal resources: Corpus Nummorum Italicorum, Volume VII (I would download all of them ) at: http://www.numismaticadellostato.it/web/pns/iuno-moneta/biblioteca/corpus Paolucci's 1st edition of The Coinage of the Doges of Venice at http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/7478 Note that there are NO images on Paolucci's gutenberg edition, but you can download the actual book with plates from Google at https://books.google.com/books?id=P0dmAAAAMAAJ The Venetian Tornesello: A Medieval Colonial Coinage by Alan M. Stahl at: http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b4351751;view=1up;seq=7 Here is my coin: Venice: Giovanni Soranzo (1312-1327) AR Grosso (Paolucci pg24, #2) Obv: IO SVPANTIO S M VENETI DVX; Doge and S. Marco standing facing, holding banner between them. Rev: IC - XC; Christ Pantokrator enthroned facing
Only few remaining letters could tell that this silver worn coin was struck in Venice. That was probably in the 17th century. Denomination is likely to be Half Lira.
Wow britannia40, fantastic OP-Grosso ... oh, and congrats to the other Grosso brothers that posted their sweet examples (all winners) Ummm, I don't have that exact type, but perhaps I could slip-in my Grosso example? Duke of Milan, Bernabo & Galeazzo II Visconti, AR Grosso or Pegione 1355-1378 AD Serpent with maiden & Ambrose on Throne
a nice example of the type B40 from here it's just an easy slide into byzantine coinage and BAM....you an ancients nut like the rest of us. i really like the venetian coins, though i only have two. here's my gross, a bit rough, but not bad.
