Sale: Triton XII, Lot: 898. Estimate $300.  Closing Date: Monday, 5 January 2009.  Sold For $425. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CRUSADERS, Venetians in the Levant. Two AV Ducats. Imitating Venice. Uncertain mint. Struck in the name of Francesco Venier, 1554-1556. Both coins: St. Mark standing right, holding Gospels and presenting flag to Doge kneeling left; exergual line below / Christ standing facing, raising hand in benediction and holding Gospels, surrounded by elliptical halo containing stars. Lot includes the following varieties: (3.35 g). •/S/•/M/•/V/E/N/E/T D/V/X FRΛN • VENE / SIT • T • XPE • DΛT • Q • TV • REGI•S ISTE • DVCΛT •, five and four stars flanking Christ. // (3.40 g). S/M/V/E/N/E/T D/V/X FRΛN VEN, pellet to left of flag / ST T XPE DΛT Q TV REGIS IT DVCAT, twelve stars flanking a stylized Christ; unusual letters showing Greek influence, break in the legends remembered from older issues (pre-1539). Cf. CNI VII 46; Ives -; Gamberini -; cf. Friedberg 1253. Coins VF or better, LOT SOLD AS IS, NO RETURNS. Two (2) coins in lot.

From the B.R. Bell Collection.