ITALY. Venezia (Venice). Alvise I Mocenigo, 1570-1577. Sesino (Bronze, 17 mm, 1.00 g, 3 h), a contemporary imitation in crude style. +ΛLOV NOC[...]N • RO DVX V Cross fourchée with three pellets on every quarter and one pellet on each arm's end. Rev. + SΛN[...] VEVNET The nimbate and winged lion of St. Mark facing, holding book of Gospel. Malefakis 94.1 var. (pierced/cancelled). Of great interest. Some areas of weakness and minor deposits, otherwise, nearly very fine.



This intriguing contemporary imitation was produced in the late 16th to early 17th century in the name of Alvise I Mocenigo. The most plausible areas of manufacture are either the region of Frinco - notorious for the production of numerous counterfeit sesini - or a small, as yet unidentified workshop in the Levant.

The counterfeiter evidently sought to achieve a convincing result, especially when compared to imitations originating from mainland Italy, which often display entirely different, incorrect or nonsensical legends. In the present case, an effort was made to replicate the official Venetian legend with relative accuracy. Nevertheless, despite this intention, the execution remains crude, and several orthographic and epigraphic irregularities are obvious.

Counterfeit sesini remain insufficiently studied, though a detailed research is provided by Malefakis. According to a report dated 18 October 1609, committees were established on the island of Crete to distinguish genuine issues from forgeries, in response to the widespread circulation of imitative pieces. Authentic coins were countermarked, while imitations were pierced and thereby invalidated, although they continued to circulate at a reduced value.

The present specimen, although an imitation, appears to have escaped this regulatory scrutiny - most likely by avoiding inspection altogether - and thus belongs to the group of counterfeit sesini that remained unpierced and were not officially invalidated.