DOGE CARLO RUZZINI GOLD DUCAT /ZECCHINO OF VENICE ITALY

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RU25 FRASCATIUS ANCIENTS A BEAUTIFUL GOLD DUCAT / ZECCHINO OF CARLO RUZZINI, DOGE OF VENICE ITALY FROM 1732 - 1735 AD. A COIN OF VENICE FROM THE HEIGHT OF ITS WORLD POWER SHARP VENETIAN GOLD COIN THAT HAS BEEN HOLED AND PLUGGEDTHIS COIN WAS MINTED BY THE VENETIANS IN 98.6% PURE (SOLID) GOLDTHE SIZE IS 21.4 MM AND 3.42 GRAMS. OBVERSE – St. Mark standing right, lowering head to and receiving long cross from Doge kneeling left REVERSE – SIT • T • XPE • DAT • Q • TV REGIS • ISTE DVCA ( "Let it be given for you, Christ, that dukedom which you rule" ) Christ standing facing, holding Gospels and raising hand in benediction, surrounded by mandorla containing stars Starting his career of public service at 26 running the Venetian Arsenal and dockyard, Carlo Ruzzini became a diplomat and was sent as Ambassador to Madrid in 1691. As the ambassador to Wien, in July 1698 he was organizing the visit of the Russian Zar Peter Alexeewitz to Venice, but that tour was failed because of the Streltsy revolt in Moscow. Later Ruzzini represented Venice during the negotiations at Carlowitz (1698-1699), managing to obtain some advantages for his country. His indecision and fear of making the wrong decision - partly due to his brief and the need to constantly consult the Venetian Council - caused much irritation with the other participants who, therefore, contrived to exclude Venice and him from the more important decisions. This episode however did not stunt his career, as is demonstrated later by his appointment first as Venetian Ambassador in the Hague (1706), to the Turkish Court (1707) and in Vienna. He was Venice's Ambassador Extraordinary at other important international negotiations such as at Utrecht in 1712. However, Venice's decline and the fact that its power was now largely restricted to within the Italian border meant that his part was a minor one.At the conclusion of the last of the wars between Venice and Turkey (1714-1718), Ruzzini represented the Republic during the peace negotiations at Passarowitz in July. The inherent weakness in Venice's strategic position meant that little was gained and much lost in the negotiations.After the Treaty of Passarowitz Ruzzini continued his diplomatic career with a second posting to Constantinople before ill health forced him home. However, his wide experience meant he continued to play an important part in the political life of the Republic.He was a candidate for Doge in 1722 but was beaten by Alvise III Sebastiano Mocenigo. Ten years later, on Mocenigo's death, Ruzzini was easily elected with 40 votes out of 41. During his brief reign he achieved little of note but kept Venice neutral and out of further conflicts. The ducat is a gold coin that was used as a trade currency throughout Europe. It is made of .986 gold.The ducat was introduced by the Republic of Venice in 1284 under the doge Giovanni Dandolo (1280-1289). The Venetian ducat, later called the zecchino, featured the Doge kneeling before St. Mark on the obverse and Jesus on the reverse. During the Middle Ages the ducat gained much popularity, as it was easy to mint, and packed quite a value in one relatively small coin. Several cities and small states in Europe – mostly Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages – issued multiple, single and fractional ducats. Initially called ducat, it was called the zecchino after the name of the Venetian mint, the "zecca", since 1543 when Venice began minting a silver coin also called a ducat. Ducats eventually became a standard gold coin throughout Europe, especially after it was officially imperially sanctioned in 1566. A True Auction Environment – Auctions start at $.99 with No Minimums and No Reserves.FULL UNCONDITIONAL GUARANTEE OF AUTHENTICITY If the buyer feels that the coin received is not as represented - just return the coin and the buyer will be fully reimbursed for the cost of the coin; the original shipping charge; and the cost to ship the coin back… No Questions Asked. If the buyer is not happy, please let me know, and I will d... read more

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