Sequin (coin)
Encyclopedia
Gold coin
A gold coin is a coin made mostly or entirely of gold. Gold has been used for coins practically since the invention of coinage, originally because of gold's intrinsic value...
weighing 3.5 gram (0.123458867367892 oz) of .986 gold, minted by the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
from the 13th century onwards.
The design of the Venetian gold ducat, or zecchino, remained unchanged for over 500 years, from its introduction in 1284 to the takeover of Venice by Napoleon in 1797. No other coin design has ever been produced over such a long historical period - the 500 year run of the zecchino is unique in history.
The reverse legend expands to Sit tibi, Christe, datus, quem tu regis, iste ducatus which translates "To thee, O Christ, this Duchy, which thou rulest, be dedicated."
Initially called "ducat
Ducat
The ducat is a gold coin that was used as a trade coin throughout Europe before World War I. Its weight is 3.4909 grams of .986 gold, which is 0.1107 troy ounce, actual gold weight...
" (ducato) from the ruling Doge of Venice, who was prominently depicted on it, it was called the zecchino after the name of the Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
mint, the "zecca
Zecca
Zecca, Italian for "mint" , may refer to:* The historical Papal mint located in Vatican City.* The mint of the Italian Republic, Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, which is still active....
", since 1543 when Venice began minting a silver coin also called a ducat. The name of the mint ultimately derives from the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
sikka, meaning a coin mould or die
Die (manufacturing)
A die is a specialized tool used in manufacturing industries to cut or shape material using a press. Like molds, dies are generally customized to the item they are used to create...
.
In some regions, in later centuries, these type of coins were stitched to women's clothing such as headdresses - this eventually led to the origin of the more modern word "sequin". Following the Venetian model, similar coins were used for centuries throughout the Mediterranean. After two hundred years of continuous zecchino production, the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
imitated with the basilikon
Basilikon
The basilikon , commonly also referred to as the doukaton , was a widely circulated Byzantine silver coin of the first half of the 14th century...
; in 1478, the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
introduced a similar unit; in 1535 Malta
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
did so. The Ottoman and the Maltese coins were also gold.
Because the zecchino (of Venice) was issued for many centuries under a long list of doges, coin collectors often try to accumulate a complete set of zecchinos of "all the doges."