ITALY. Venezia (Venice). Nicolò Marcello, 1473-1474. Ducato (Gold, 21 mm, 3.51 g, 12 h). NICOL MARCЄLL - •S•M•VЄNЄTI St. Mark standing right, holding book of Gospels in his left hand and presenting banner inscribed DVX to doge Nicolò Marcello, kneeling to left and raising his head toward the saint. Rev. SIT•T•XPЄ•DAT'•Q•TV RЄGIS•ISTЄ•DVCAT' Christ, nimbate, standing facing in mandorla with nine stars, raising his right hand in benediction and holding book of Gospels in his left. Friedberg 1236. Paolucci 1. Extremely rare. Somewhat crinkled and with a bump on the reverse and a few light scratches, otherwise, about very fine.



The rule of Nicolò Marcello as doge was very short: aged 73 or 74 already at the time of his election, he died less than sixteen months later, on 1 December 1474. Unsurprisingly, his duacti are among the great rarities in the Venetian series.