Sale: Triton IX, Lot: 1872. Estimate $1000.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 January 2006.  Sold For $2000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CRUSADERS. Frankish Possessions in Greece. 14th century. AV Ducat (3.54 g, 1h). S N VENETTI left, ANDKDANDNV right (some letters retrograde), St. Mark standing right, presenting banner to kneeling Doge; cross of dots and DVX in fields / \ STTIT +P•C DAT Q•V CCTSTSTE D.V.CAT' (some letters retrograde), Christ standing facing, in mandorla containing nine stars; Gothic "c" symbol at feet. A. Savio, "Imitazione e contraffazione del ducato d'oro di Venezia," QT VI, pp. 399-400; Tzamali pp. 73-74; cf. Castellani 16224; cf. Gamberini 344 (Robert d'Anjou); cf. Ives p. 24, n. 45 and pl. XII, 1; Friedberg 38a (Robert d'Anjou). EF. Exceptionally sharp strike. ($1000)

Lambros, in an 1876 article, attributed imitative ducats of Andrea Dandolo (1343-1354) to Robert d'Anjou, duke of Achaia 1346-1364, and likely struck at Glarenza. The most common type has the letters K-O at Christ's feet, interpreted by Lambros as RO(bertus) as written by a Greek speaker. However, exactly similar types have varying symbols in place of the K-O, such as the the small Gothic "c" on this piece, while extensive site and hoard finds suggest a source closer to the east, perhaps at Chios under Genoa or Mytilene under the Gattilusi. Named ducats for the "Frankish" lords of these domains had begun by the last quarter of the 14th century, and these ducats with anonymous symbols probably immediately preceded the normative issues. The great quantities of these ducats that have been recovered indicate that they served as the principal trade currency of the Crusader east for several decades in the last half of the 14th century.