Sale: Triton XII, Lot: 877. Estimate $500.  Closing Date: Monday, 5 January 2009.  Sold For $500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CRUSADERS, Venetians in the Levant. AV Ducat (3.26 g, 6h). Imitating Venice. Uncertain mint. Struck in the name of Andrea Dandolo, 1344-1382. • S H • L(OU)ИTT D/V/+ TИ • X • I • D • T • T •, St. Mark standing right, holding the Gospels and presenting flag (cf. type 6) to Doge kneeling left; pellet to left of flag and behind Doge / • TΛΛIΛITXVINVI • • (uncertain letter)ΛSVI • IΛ´DΛTS •, Christ standing facing, raising hand in benediction and holding Gospels, surrounded by elliptical halo containing four stars to left, five to right. Cf. CNI VII 37; Ives -; Schlumberger pl. XIX, 25-26; Bell 55 (this coin). EF, traces of underlying luster.

From the B.R. Bell Collection.

The seemingly anarchic legends of this coin and others similar appear to have influenced later designers to depart from the strict use of S. M. VENETI and other standard forms as legends on Aegean coinage. The curious ‘S’ curve of the Doge’s leg harkens later issues where an ‘S’ was purposely placed at 6:00 on the coinage of Chios.