Coins of Venice

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Louis the Pious (814-840)
Second Issue - after 818-9

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AR denier, 21mm, 1.31g. Obv: +HLVDOVVICVS IIP, central cross. Rev: +VEN/ECIAS. Mint is Venice. R1158v; MG 456v (which has 'IMP,' the more typical ending of the obverse legend); MEC 789; not in Dep (who sticks to French mints).
Times: The lagoons of  Venetia had been a refuge during times of barbarian invasions of Italy. People took refuge here in the 5th C when the Huns came through and again in the middle of the 6th C as the Lombards came into Italy. This latter invasion was more permanent and the Lombard presence eroded Byzantine control over Italy and Venetia. In the 8th C the office of Doge (Dux) came into being as in indication of growing Venetian independence from Byzantine control. Venice began to separate itself from the mainland and establish itself as a maritime power. On the mainland, the pope was pressed by the Lombards and invited Charlemagne's help. He conquered the Lombards and extended his territorial grasp, in the person of his son Pippin, to Venice. Venice was torn between looking westward or remaining Byzantine in focus. The Byzantine empire mustered its forces against the Carolingians and in return for their recognition of him as emperor of the west, Charlemagne did not press the issue. This coin dates from the brief period of Carolingian hegemony in Italy. Louis the Pious is a son of Charlemagne.

AR Grosso, 19mm, 2.09gr. Obv: P.ZIANO.SM.VENETI, central Doge (L) and St. Mark. Rev: Christ enthrones. Paolucci, p.16, rarity: common.  Zani's predecessor, Enrico Dandolo, introduced the grosso, which brought St. Mark, Venice's patron saint, onto the coinage. Paolucci (p.15) notes "the creation of the grosso marked the beginning of the political and economic rise of the Serenissima which from now on was enormously to develop its commercial potential, conquering new markets in every country of the eastern Mediterranean."
The times: Pietro Zani succeeded the very successful Enrico Dandolo (1192-1205) as Doge. Dandolo essentially high jacked the 4th crusade which was being outfitted in Venice and planning to free Egypt from the saracens. When the crusaders could not pay their bills, Dandolo suggested that they instead attack Constantinople as a way of reuniting the Church (and not incidentally plunder one of the richest cities in the western world at the time). The Venetians were interested in this move because they found themselves increasingly in conflict with Byzantium, their ostensible overlords. Venice was interested in moving to a fuller level of independence, the the presence of a crusader army offered the opportunity to do so.

©1996
    Philip Greenspun, Photograph courtesy Philip
            Greenspun Original Photo

AR Grosso, 19mm, 2.11gr. Obv: RA.CENO.SM VENETI, central Doge (L) and St. Mark. Rev: Christ enthrones. Paolucci, p.19, rarity: common.
The times: Venice's success at Constantinople triggered resentment and alliances among her enemies. The sack of Constantinople weakened, and many suggest, essentially ended the Byzantine empire in the east, although the city was to recover and hang on until 1453. Genoa, a long-standing competitor in trade in the eastern Mediterranean, allied with Greece via the Treaty of Ninfeo. The Venetians were militarily successful over Genoa in 1258 at Acre. To protect their trade routes, the Venetians established a series of overseas outposts, both as safe harbors for trading vessels and as refitting stops for the fleet. Venice controlled Crete and held the dominant position in the Adriatic.

AR Grosso, 19mm, 2.01gr. Obv: LA TEVPL' SM VENETO, central Doge (L) and St. Mark. Rev: Christ enthroned. Paulucci, p.20, rarity: common.

Giapolo Contarini (1275-80)
47th Doge

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AR Grosso, 19mm, 2.14gr.. Obv: IA.OTARIN SM VENETI , central Doge (L) and St. Mark. Rev: Christ enthroned. Paulucci, p.21, rarity: common.

AR Grosso, 19mm, 2.18gr. Obv: IO.DANDVL'.SM.VENETI, central Doge (L) and St. Mark. Rev: Christ enthrones. Paolucci, p.23, rarity: common. Numismatically, it was during these these years (1282) that the gold ducat was introduced. It was to be issued virtually unchanged by the succeeding 73 Doges.
The times: In spite of the strains on the economic system during the 14th C, this was a time of relative prosperity for Venice. It was to become more conflicted in the next decade, when the fighting with Genoa intensified. The Venetians were defeated  at Laiazzo in 1294 and at Curzola in 1298. The phase of the war ended with the Treaty of Milan in 1299.

AR Grosso, 23mm, 1.83gr. Obv: ANTO VENERIO SM VENETI, central Doge (L) and St. Mark. Rev: TIBI LAVS 7 GLORIA, central Christ enthroned. Paolucci, p.37, rarity: common.
The times: The 14th century was characterized by increasing commercial and economic pressures on Venice. The Venetians sought to expand their sphere of influence beyond the eastern Mediterranean. It was over this time the Marco Polo went to China and the Venetians sailed to England to open new trade routes. Conflict with Genoa continued. Venice was defeated at Sapienze in the middle of the century. A conflict over control of  Tenedo in the Dardanelles spilled into the Adriatic and the Genoese seized Chioggia and laid siege to Venice in 1379. The Venetians rallied and succeeded in turning the tables on the Genoese, surrounding them and forcing their surrender. The Peace of Turin in 1381 ended this conflict. Genoa had peaked by this time and began to lose influence in Mediterranean trading affairs, while Venice still had life in her and was to continue to be an important European force into the next century.

AU ducat, 20mm, 3.58grm. Obv: FRAC.FOSCARI SMVENITI, central St. Mark and Doge. Rev: .SIT.TVPC.DAT.Q.TV.REGIS ISTE.DVCA, central St. Mark. Mint is Venice. Biaggi 2872; Paolucci: ducat, 3.56gr., common, p40.

AR grosso. Obv: FRA FOSCARI SM VENETI, central Doge (L) and St. Mark. Rev: TIBI LAVS 7 GLORIA, central Christ enthroned. Paolucci, p.40, rarity: common.
The times: In 1453 Constantinople fell to the Turks. This brought a final end to the remnants of the old Roman Empire. In this century Venice established a land empire for itself, and the first part of the century was one of continual conflict on the Italian peninsula, characterized by shifting alliances among Florence, Milan, the Austrians, and others. These came to a halt by the Treaty of Lodi in 1454. Meanwhile the Turkish presence expanded and pressed Venetian possessions in the eastern Mediterranean. The Turks moved into Albania  and pressed Fruili to the north of Venice. The Venetians allied with the Hungarians and tried to stem this advance.

Canaletto, Venice: A Regatta on the Grand Canal, about 1735

Giovanni I Corner (1625-29)

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CU, 20mm, 1.91gr, quarter soldi. Obv: SM.VEN._ANC.PR, '12' in the exergue, central Doge genuflecting before St. Mark. Rev: DEFENS.NOSTRx, central Christ. This legend is not in Paolucci. Rarity: common. Paol. p.91.
The times: Venice had peaked as a military and economic power. The opening of the New World and trade route around the Horn and Cape had weaken Venice's trading power. Early in the century, Venice found itself in several wars in the peninsula, allied with France, but though its side prevailed, it did not play a major role in the treaty conferences, reflecting waning European influence. In the Adriatic, Venice had to deal with a corsair threat, based on Austrian controlled territory. Venice and Austria fought over this, without satisfactory resolution for Venice.

Francesco Guardi,  'Venice: The Doge's Palace and the Molo from the Basin of San Marco,' about 1770

Francesco Erizzo (1631-46)

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CU, 20mm, 1.72gr., bagattino. Obv: S.M.V.FRANC.ERI,'12' in the exergue, central Doge genuflecting before St. Mark. Rev. legend is hard to read: ?DI FRANC ____? central Christ. This legend is not in Paolucci. Rarity: common. Paul. p.94.
The times: The years 1630-1 were hard plague years in Venice. This trauma reinforced the growing conservatism in Venetian institutions as people sought to hang on to the glory of past days. In 1645 the Venetians and Turks started another war, which the Venetians had hoped to avoid. This war, lasting lasting 24 years, resulted in the loss of overseas Venetian territory and essentially ended the 'sea state' in the eastern Mediterranean that was built in the 13th century.

Francesco Guardi, Venice: Piazza San Marco about 1760

Alvise II Mocenigo (1700-09)

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CU, 19mm, 1.95gr, soldi of 12 bagattini. Obv: S.M.V.ALOY.MOC, central Doge genuflecting before St. Mark. Rev: DEFENSE. .NOSTER, central Christ. Paolucci p.114, rarity: common.
The times: The Turks were finally stopped in their European incursions outside of Vienna in 1683. (The croissant was the pastry created to celebrate this victory.) This reinvigorated the anti-Turkish alliance and started a series of wars in 1684 that lasted until 1699 and led to the conquest of the Peloponese by a Venetian commander. At the start of the century, Venice found itself with weakened economic power and facing an ongoing Turkish threat.

Canaletto, 'Venice: The Doge's Palace and the Riva degli Schiavoni,' late 1730s

Sources:

Morris, The Venetian Empire: A Sea Voyage

National Gallery (London) website

Norwich, A History of Venice

Ortalli and Scarabello, A Short History of Venice

Paolucci, Le Monete dei Dogi di Venezia