Venetian Grosso
OriginVenice
First Minted1193
MaterialSilver
TypeCoin
About Venetian Grosso
Also called the matapan. A large silver coin introduced by Doge Enrico Dandolo. Featured the Doge receiving the banner from Saint Mark and Christ on the other side. The grosso was minted for nearly 200 years and was the workhorse of Venetian trade. Weighing about 2.2 grams of silver, it was worth 26 piccoli. The grosso funded the Fourth Crusade and the sack of Constantinople in 1204.
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