Sale: Triton XII, Lot: 880. Estimate $300.  Closing Date: Monday, 5 January 2009.  Sold For $900. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CRUSADERS, Venetians in the Levant. AV Ducat (3.35 g, 6h). Imitating Venice. Uncertain mint. Early transitional ‘K Series’, struck in the name of Andrea Dandolo, 1344-1354. [S]/M/V/Є/N/Є/T/[I] D/V/+ ΛNDK DIIHDVIO, St. Mark standing right, holding Gospels and presenting flag (type 9, but without central pellet) to Doge kneeling left; large pellet to left of knee / [S] I • T • T +PЄ D Λ • TOTV KЄGIS ISISIЄ (last 2 S's retrograde), 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; cf. Ives pl. XIII, 1-2Schlumberger pl. XII, 34; cf. Gamberini 344. VF. Very rare variety.

From the B.R. Bell Collection.

This coin is probably among the earliest of the ‘K-series’ ducats and struck prior tp the type becoming standardized. The later ‘K-series’ coins are known to date prior to 1435, based upon hoard evidence. If style is an accurate indicator, this coin should be an earlier issue in the series.