Italy. Venice. Giovanni Dandolo AD 1280-1289.
Grosso AR

20 mm, 2,13 g

• IO • DANDVL' • DVX • S • M • VENETI •, Doge and S. Marco standing facing, holding banner between them / Christ seated facing on throne, wearing nimbus crown, pallium, and colobium, annulet to left of right foot, barred IC XC across fields.

Very Fine

Paolucci 2.

Giovanni Dandolo (circa AD 1280 – 1354) was a Venetian nobleman, but he is primarily known for his role as the 54th Doge of Venice. He ruled as Doge from 1280 until his death in 1289. Dandolo's family, the Dandolo family, was one of the prominent aristocratic families of the Republic of Venice. As Doge, Giovanni Dandolo faced significant challenges, including external conflicts with rival city-states and internal political issues. During his reign, Venice had strained relations with Genoa, leading to conflicts in the eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. Dandolo's reign also saw some notable achievements. He introduced the first Venetian gold ducat, also called the Zecchino. Its weight was 3.56 grams and it was used until the end of the Venetian Republic.