Sale: Triton XII, Lot: 889. Estimate $500.  Closing Date: Monday, 5 January 2009.  Sold For $1100. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CRUSADERS, Venetians in the Levant. AV Ducat (3.46 g, 6h). Imitating Venice. Uncertain mint. Struck in the name of Giovanni Gradenigo, 1355-1356. • ∞/N/V/Є/N/•/Є/T/I Ð/V/X IOÐЄNPI8Θ (P retrograde), St. Mark standing right, holding Gospels and presenting flag (type 6) to Doge kneeling left / • SITT +PЄ DΛT O TI • ЄOIθ ISTЄ DV?ΛT • (P 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 16; Ives -; Schlumberger -; Bell 54 (this coin). EF. Extremely rare, two examples of this die pairing recorded in the hoard (the other VF or with worn dies).

From the B.R. Bell Collection.

Imitations of the ducats of Giovanni Gradenigo are all extremely rare.