The design of the Venetian gold ducat, or zecchino, remained unchanged for over 500 years, from its introduction in 1284 to the takeover of Venice by Napoleon in 1797. The main coins minted during the Republic of Venice include: silver ducato (or Matapan) , minted for the first time between 1193 and 1202; it was one of the first grossi . Gold ducat of doge Michele Steno of Venice (1400)|Wikimedia Commons Each day, Live History India brings you stories and films that not only chronicle India’s history and heritage for you, but also help create a digital archive of the 'Stories that make India' for future generations. These specifications for the ducat – which was later struck in fractions and multiples of the original coin – would remain the same for 500 years.The Venetian ducat was an extremely robust currency and it held sway as an international standard till the invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797, which spelt the end of the Venetian Republic – and the Venetian ducat.Long before that, between the 14th and 18th centuries, trade between Venice and Southern India had brought the gold ducat, issued by rulers Francis Lorendano, Paul Rainier and Peter Grimani, to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Venetian merchants were already influential financiers in Europe. Gujarat’s oldest and most monumental stupa-monastic complex is submerged under the waters of a manmade reservoir Widely imitated throughout the eastern Mediterranean, the gold ducat was also known as a zecchino, from the word zecca meaning a coin mint. Popular mainly in Southern India, the currency was so valuable that when one of the ‘secret vaults’ of the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram was opened in 2011, gold ducats, among other treasures, tumbled out. Tata Steel & Gwalior’s ‘Chambers of Secrets’ Forgotten Treasures In India, the ducat was also used in jewellery and often exchanged hands as dowry.Venetian gold coins are found in other places in India as well. The jaw-dropping tale of the Scindias’ buried treasure, and how it was discovered. The richly decorated Golden Ducat has remained the same for almost 400 years, except for some small changes in its sublime details. Worth - Venice 1 ducat 1762 in the coin catalog at uCoin.net - International Catalog of World Coins.
In the course of the centuries small changes have been made to the knight’s armour and the decorations on the reverse that were subjected to “fashion”. In order to provide you with the best possible service, we use cookies. Forgotten Treasures It may be only a collectors’ item today but the Venetian ducat has left a legacy India will always treasure. The Golden Ducat has always been strong currency; for centuries these coins were important tender in international trade. The Golden Ducat finds its origin in the Republic of Venice and was later also minted in the Netherlands. Numista. 1 Ducato - Francesco Foscari - Republic of Venice – Numista. Gwalior’s Special Silver Train Detailed information about the coin 1 Ducato, Francesco Foscari, Republic of Venice, with pictures and collection and swap management : mintage, descriptions, metal, weight, size, value and other numismatic data. Discover everything about our coins, promotions and the latest news! The Venetian ducat was an extremely robust currency and it held sway as an international standard till the invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797, which spelt the end of the Venetian Republic – and the Venetian ducat. While money exchange usually means converting your hard-earned cash into foreign currency to take a vacation you can ill-afford, it was serious business during the Middle Ages. The Great Train Banquet Forgotten Treasures In 1981, the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums in Karnataka obtained a hoard containing 39 Venetian ducats of nearly 9 Doges, from Bartholomew Gradenigo (1339-1341 CE) to Thomas Mocenigo (1414-1423 CE).More recently, in October 2018, the Venetian ducat was displayed at an exhibition titled ‘Art On Coins – India And The World’, at the NCPA, Mumbai, along with other interesting coins and currencies. Detailed information about the coin 1 Ducat, Christoforo Moro, Republic of Venice, with pictures and collection and swap management : mintage, descriptions, … It is hard to imagine that industrial giant, Tata Steel, has a link with the hidden treasures of Gwalior! Thus, by the late 13th century, the independent city-state of Venice controlled trade throughout the Mediterranean.The Venetians knew that if they wanted to consolidate and increase their power and influence over global commerce, they would need a currency that would be accepted by all nations. The standard weight, purity and design of the coin allowed any nation in the world to trade with another, thus constituting a uniform method of payment. Gwalior’s Hidden Treasure: The Truth Revealed As new lands were discovered and their resources coveted, foreign currencies criss-crossed on trade routes across the world, in exchange for these goods.Among these currencies was the Venetian ducat, which made its way even to India. The reverse of a Golden Ducat always has the same inscription in Latin:
The city was also the birthplace of great European explorers like Marco Polo, a crucial advantage in times when travel and trade went hand in hand. Such a coin would become a standard, allowing trade to flow freely and greatly facilitating payment for goods. That is why many ducats are found with holes or with extensions, through which they were strung. Devnimori: A Sunken Buddhist Legacy Forgotten Treasures
But why was the Venetian ducat so valuable?The crusades, from the 11th to 13th centuries, saw a dramatic change in fortunes in Europe, resulting in the rise of Italian maritime and mercantile states. It wasn’t long before the Venetian ducat became the preferred international currency.Venice first minted the gold ducat in 1284, at a weight and fineness of 3.5 grams of pure gold (0.986), a standard of purity and fineness that would be maintained until the end of the Venetian Republic in 1797.