Venice, Alvise Mocenigo Il Osella

Description

According to an old custom dating from the C13 the doges of Venice used to give each member of the Great Council five wild ducks as a New Year present. New Year money was introduced to replace the game birds in 1521. These silver oselle (from uccelli = birds), each worth a quarter of a ducat, could also be used as currency. Until 1796, the year before the end of the Venetian Republic, new oselle were produced every year. Gold oselle had no official role; private individuals commissioned their coining, and they always corresponded to a multiple of the sequin in value. Historical and allegorical references often served as motifs on oselle. This 1702 osella alludes to Venice's neutrality in the War of the Spanish Succession: the lion (of St Mark) protects the sea of Venice with the strength (FORTITVDO) of the sword and the prudence (PRVDENTIA) of the snake.